SILVERSTONE, England, CMC – Seven-time World champion Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning drive in wet conditions to win his first race in two-and-a-years when he captured his home British Grand Prix here Sunday.
After starting from second on the grid alongside Mercedes teammate George Russell, the 39-year-old passed him on lap 18. Then it fended off threats from McLaren’s Lando Norris and reigning champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull to take the chequered flag 1.4 seconds clear.
Verstappen finished second, while Norris completed the podium. Russell was forced to retire on lap 31 with a water system problem.
The victory was emotional for Hamilton, who clinched a record ninth win at Silverstone to move his career win-tally to 104. It was his final home appearance in Mercedes colors before his highly touted move to Ferrari next season.
“I can’t stop crying! It’s been since 2021, every day getting up, trying to fight, to train, to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team,” Hamilton, who was in tears in radio communication with his team at the end, said afterward.
“This is my last race here at the British Grand Prix with this team, so I wanted to win this so much for them because I love them, I appreciate them so much, all the hard work they’ve been putting in all these years.”
He continued: “It’s so tough – I think for anyone. I think the important thing is just how you continue to get up, and you’ve got to continue to dig deep even when you feel like you’re at the bottom of the barrel.
“There have been days between 2021 and here where I didn’t feel like I was good enough or whether I was going to get back to where I am today, but the important thing is I had great people around me, continuing to support me.
“My team, every time I turn up and see them putting in the effort, that encouraged me to do the same thing.”
The success also marked only Hamilton’s second podium of the season following his third-place finish at last month’s Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
Hamilton was born in the United Kingdom, but his paternal grandparents hail from Grenada.
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