I’m back home.
England are still alive at the Euros after beating Switzerland on penalties on Saturday to reach the semi-finals where they will face the Netherlands on Wednesday, but something else happened on English soil on Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton finally returned to the top of the F1 podium at the British Grand Prix.
When was the last time Hamilton was on top? It was the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on December 5, 2021. A lot has changed since then. First, a week later, Max Verstappen beat Hamilton to the checkered flag at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, winning his first F1 Drivers’ Championship in controversial fashion that many will be quick to point out. But the win was a long time coming for Hamilton.
But finally it came.
Hamilton and Mercedes devised a series of impressive strategies as the team battled difficult weather conditions at Silverstone, with two heavy rain showers, the second lasting longer and making the track more slippery. The second came when the team decided to pit a lap earlier than race leader Lando Norris and fit soft tyres to allow the seven-time champion to hold out until the chequered flag. Norris put on the soft tyre the following lap, but was helpless as Hamilton slowly emerged from his McLaren pit box to overtake him.
This set up a fascinating finish with Hamilton ahead of Norris and the always dangerous Max Verstappen lurking behind the British duo in third place. For a moment it looked like Verstappen would take the win as Red Bull decided to put on hard tyres which seemed to work better for Verstappen than the soft tyres used by Hamilton and Norris. On lap 48, Verstappen overtook Norris to move into second place, just ahead of the duo Hamilton.
But Hamilton had a three-second lead over his rival and with just a few laps remaining the Mercedes driver had the advantage and the Royal Automobile Club Trophy to his name. Could Hamilton hold off his rival or would Verstappen deny Hamilton his 104th career win?
The roar of the Silverstone crowd told the final story.
Hamilton crossed the line first as Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May waved the chequered flag, and Verstappen was able to chip away at Hamilton’s advantage in the final two laps, but was unable to reach the rear wing of Hamilton’s W15.
A victory years in the making has finally come to fruition on British soil: Lewis Hamilton has won the 2024 British Grand Prix.
There was emotion in the driver’s voice as he was congratulated by his team as he crossed the line and he was presented with a Union Jack as he reached Becketts Corner on the cool-down lap, which he waved proudly as he returned the race-winning W15 to the pit lane.
An iconic image on an iconic day in an iconic F1 season.
