McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton gave his adoring fans exactly what they came to see at a sodden Silverstone on Sunday. A brilliant British Grand Prix victory in often treacherous conditions lifted him right back into contention for the world championship, on a day when Kimi Raikkonen failed to shine and Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa and BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica were the ones who came home pointless.
The race started on a damp track, with the promise of more rain to come. Hamilton touched wheels with pole-sitting team mate Heikki Kovalainen on lap one at Copse after making a terrific start, and edged ahead of him at Becketts on the fifth lap. Thereafter it was his race to lose, and the most crucial point came when both he and Raikkonen, an apparent threat at this stage, pitted on the 21st lap. But where McLaren gave their man another set of standard wet-weather Bridgestones, Ferrari kept theirs on the same set. Hamilton rocketed away from the red car, and Raikkonen slipped steadily down the order as strong mid-race performances from Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica put BMW Sauber into the frame for podium finishes.
“It was one of the toughest races I have ever done. I was thinking as I was driving, ‘If I win this it will definitely go down as the best race I have ever done’,” said Hamilton, who became the first Englishman to win at Silverstone since Johnny Herbert in 1995.
Mark Webber, his Red Bull starting from second, suffered an early spin and ended up right at the back of the field.
Kovalainen led his teammate and Raikkonen after the first lap but Hamilton immediately began to apply serious pressure on the leader, forcing him to defend desperately over the next four laps.
Felipe Massa, the drivers championship leader who had the fastest times in Friday’s practice, wound up ninth on the grid, his lowest of the season. The Brazilian, who is only two points ahead in the standings, failed to go out in a fast time in the third qualifying round and, when his Ferrari mechanics dallied over a wheel change, he was unable to go out for his second run.
“It’s a real shame ending up ninth on the grid because of a problem with my pit stop,” the Brazilian said. “I lost so much time as the mechanics had trouble changing the right rear wheel and I was unable to start my second run.”
“They were quite difficult qualifying conditions, with dark skies and blustery winds,” Kovalainen said. “But in the second part (of qualifying) it was much better without any problems, before a great run in the final part which I’m very happy about.”
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