LONDON: FORMULA One world champion Lewis Hamilton of England took advantage of a safety car to jump ahead of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, delighting the bumper 141,000-strong Silverstone crowd to triumph at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The win on Sunday, Hamilton’s seventh from 10 rounds, takes him ever closer to a sixth world title. He is now 39 points clear of Bottas in the championship standings.
On a sensational day for Hamilton, he also secured a bonus point by posting a stunning track record on his final lap. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished third after Sebastian Vettel crashed into the back of Max Verstappen.
Red Bull driver Verstappen managed to finish fifth, but Vettel dropped to 16th with the damage sustained in the incident.
The Ferrari driver was also hit with a 10-second penalty for causing the collision.
Lando Norris crossed the line a disappointing 11th on his maiden home event, the British teenager’s race scuppered by strategy.
For Hamilton, his stroke of luck arrived on lap 20 of the 52-lap race when Antonio Giovinazzi beached his Alfa Romeo at Brooklands.
Out came the safety car, and in came Hamilton for his one and only stop.
Bottas had already pitted, and with the field driving slowly, Hamilton was able to nip in for fresh tyres to retain his lead. The Englishman crossed the line 25 seconds clear of Bottas, surpassing Britain’s double world champion Jim Clark and the Frenchman Alain Prost as the standalone master of his home race.
“What a day, I love you Silverstone,” said Hamilton on his warm-down lap.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am to be here today in front of my home crowd, and my family, too,” said Hamilton with a Union Jack draped over his shoulders following his 80th career win.
“You would think you would get used to something like that but it feels like the first time.”
