Lewis Hamilton made Formula 1 history by setting the all-time record for most Grand Prix wins at a single circuit with a dramatic ninth Silverstone triumph on Sunday. The landmark occasion came 16 years after his first F1 victory in front of a home crowd and both victories were full of drama and emotion.
Hamilton’s first victory at Silverstone, in 2008 for McLaren was a glittering Formula 1 win amid the then 23-year-old’s maiden title run.
One of the wettest British Grand Prix in modern times, Hamilton prevailed where several failed, dancing his MP4-23 through lashes of rain to finish more than a minute ahead of the rest of the field.
The win evoked memories of Michael Schumacher’s mesmerising 1996 Spanish Grand Prix win and underlined Hamilton’s credentials as not only a wet-weather Formula 1 master but a driver posied to ascend into greatness.
Speaking ahead of the 2024 edition of the British GP, Hamilton couldn’t help but rank the win number one among his then-eight Silverstone victories.
“I think 2008 will always be probably the most special,” Hamilton told media including Motorsport Week last Thursday. “My first Grand Prix win here in the rain. And that’s my first real, I would say, engagement or the beginning of the journey with the fans here.”
Since that day Hamilton has had many more great memories with the Silverstone fans and sometimes not, for who could forget the 2020 British Grand Prix where Hamilton won following a tense final lap on three wheels in a behind-closed-doors GP in the middle of the pandemic.
2008 wet weather mastery aside, Hamilton’s ninth and latest Silverstone triumph could arguably hold more importance to the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion.
The win, perhaps unexpected going into the weekend, came amid Mercedes’ recent return to winning ways with an unlikely George Russell victory at the Red Bull Ring a week before the Silverstone event.
Russell’s win, although impressive, was fortuitous and wouldn’t have come about had Lando Norris and Max Verstappen not come together.
Still, Russell argued that the Austrian GP win was just reward for a missed opportunity in Montreal, where the Brit arguably had the fastest car.
Mercedes went against the common consensus at Silverstone when Russell and Hamilton locked out the front row, beating the much-fancied Norris to top billing in qualifying.
Once again, Russell out-qualified his more senior team-mate, but Hamilton rose to the occasion on Sunday.
The now 104-time GP winner looked a rejuvenated figure come race day, passing Russell when the rain fell and nursing his soft tyres home to stride away from Norris and keep Verstappen at bay in the final stint once the track had dried.
Swept by emotion, Hamilton was tearful after returning to victory 945 days after his previous win in Saudi Arabia, the penultimate chapter of the dramatic 2021 season.
Hamilton also became the first driver to win a GP after making 300 starts, the first to win in 16 different seasons and set a record for years between maiden and latest victories – 17 years.
Many had questioned whether Hamilton would win again and the tragic way in which Mercedes started the year, the Briton’s last with the team, had more questioning whether 2024 would be a dismal end to Hamilton’s fairytale story at Brackley.
Hamilton put that all to bed with win 104 of his Formula 1 career.
“I can’t stop crying,” Hamilton told former McLaren team-mate Jenson Button in parc ferme.
“I think, you know, since 2021, I’m just 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 and this is my last race here, 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 over the years.
“I’m forever grateful to everyone in this team, everyone at Mercedes, and all of our partners. And I just want to say thank you to all of you for being here with us today.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. and then otherwise to all our incredible fans.
“I could see you lap by lap as I was coming around, and there’s just no greater feeling as to finish at the front here.”
Hamilton’s 2008 win let the world know he was an all-time Formula 1 talent, last Sunday confirmed he’s still got that magic at his fingertips and perhaps makes win 104 a touch more special than win number seven.
