Lewis Hamilton celebrated an emotional and long-awaited victory at the British Grand Prix, marking his 104th career win and setting a new record with his ninth triumph at Silverstone. The seven-time world champion, who turns 40 in January, was visibly emotional as he spoke over the Mercedes team radio, having finished 1.465 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
In a race marked by changing weather and track conditions, Lando Norris secured third place, followed by his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas. Lance Stroll finished seventh for Aston Martin.
Hamilton, who had not won since the 2021 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, delivered a masterclass in tire and race management, earning his 150th podium finish for Mercedes. “I’ve been waiting for this,” exclaimed Hamilton after crossing the finish line. He added, “I can’t stop crying. Since 2021, every day has been a fight, and I’ve worked as hard as I can with this amazing team.”
As Hamilton prepares to leave Mercedes for Ferrari after this season, he expressed his deep appreciation for his team: “This is my last British GP with this team. I wanted to win so much for them. I love them so much. All the hard work they’ve been putting in.”
Verstappen, who overtook Norris in the closing laps, acknowledged the challenges of the race: “We just didn’t have the pace today. I was slowly dropping back when it mattered at the beginning. It really wasn’t looking great at one point, but we made the right calls.”
Norris, who lost the lead after a misjudged pit stop, congratulated Hamilton: “First of all, congrats to Lewis. That crucial decision at the end, he just did a better job, so hats off to him and Mercedes, they deserve it. It was tough. It was fun battling these guys and these tricky conditions, risking a lot, on a knife-edge.”
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso finished eighth in the second Aston Martin, ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull.
On a day of changing weather, more than 120,000 spectators witnessed three Britons starting their home race at the front of the grid for the first time since 1962. George Russell, who started on pole, led initially with Hamilton close behind. However, by lap six, Russell was ahead by 1.6 seconds with Hamilton 1.4 seconds in front of Verstappen.
As rain began to fall on lap 14, Norris passed Verstappen to reclaim third. The wet conditions favored the McLarens, with Piastri overtaking Verstappen on lap 17. Hamilton then took the lead from Russell, only for Norris to overtake him on lap 19, making it a McLaren 1-2 on lap 21.
When the first shower eased, Verstappen was five seconds behind in fifth place. By lap 28, Norris was leading Hamilton, who was trying to preserve his tires. Russell’s race ended on lap 34 due to a hydraulic problem.
With 15 laps remaining, Hamilton noted the sun was coming out. He, Verstappen, and Piastri pitted together on lap 39, while Norris pitted a lap later, losing the lead to Hamilton. Hamilton managed his final stint perfectly, breaking a 56-race winless streak to the delight of the home crowd.
Hamilton was overcome with emotion as he embraced his father amid the cheers of the home fans.
