British Grand Prix LIVE: F1 result as Lewis Hamilton grabs late win after Max Verstappen crashes on lap one
Follow the fallout from Silverstone, where Hamilton triumphed despite a 10-second penalty
Lewis Hamilton won the Formula One British Grand Prix on Sunday after Max Verstappen crashed out on lap one after a coming-together with his title rival.
Championship leader Verstappen started in pole position at Silverstone after winning the inaugural F1 Sprint race on Saturday, but the Red Bull driver’s left rear tyre hit Hamilton’s front right tyre on the Copse corner on the opening lap, leading the Belgian to spin off the track and hit the barrier hard at approximately 180mph. Verstappen, who had won the last three grands prix ahead of Sunday’s event, emerged from his wrecked car and was checked by medical staff before being transported to a local hospital.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, which resulted in Hamilton receiving a 10-second penalty, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc surged past the Briton and into the lead. A red flag followed, leading to a 40-minute suspension of racing, but Leclerc retained his focus for a standing restart and would retain his lead for 49 laps. Hamilton was hunting the Monegasque, however, and finally caught Leclerc on Copse with just two laps to go in a dramatic finish.
Hamilton saw out the final laps to record his third straight British GP victory, seventh in eight years, and eighth overall. In doing so, the defending champion – second in the drivers’ standings – closed the gap to Verstappen to eight points in the race for the title.
Follow the fallout from the Formula One British Grand Prix below.
F1 British Grand Prix: Yesterday’s Sprint explained
The Sprint race yesterday covered roughly 100km – equalling 17 laps at Silverstone.
In the Sprint, there is a free choice of tyre for each driver.
There is also no need to pit.
F1 British Grand Prix: Yesterday’s Sprint explained
Yesterday saw the maiden F1 Sprint race.
The Friday session at Silverstone involved a practice session as usual but was followed by Sprint qualifying.
Hamilton qualified on pole for the new race, which is being trialled at a few events this season, with Verstappen second.
Verstappen claimed the win yesterday, however, with Hamilton finishing second.
The Sprint race, when it is used, is a new way of determining the grid for the main race on a Sunday.
As well as setting up the grid for the main race, the Sprint offers bonus points for drivers. The winner of the Sprint receives three points, second place gets two points, and third gets one.
Those points are added to the drivers’ totals immediately, as opposed to being saved until after Sunday’s main race.
F1 British Grand Prix: Verstappen’s Sprint triumph
So, Hamilton’s poor start yesterday allowed Verstappen to make history by winning Formula One’s inaugural Sprint race at Silverstone.
The seven-time world champion started from first but was desperately slow off his mark, allowing his championship rival to cruise past him before the opening Abbey bend.
Verstappen then kept his cool to keep Hamilton at arm’s length for the remainder of the 17-lap dash to the flag to increase his championship lead over Hamilton from 32 to 33 points and take pole position for today’s British Grand Prix.
More here:
Lewis Hamilton’s poor start sees Max Verstappen win F1’s inaugural Sprint race
F1 British Grand Prix: Hamilton’s Sprint regret
“I wish we could redo the start,” said Hamilton about his poor getaway in yesterday’s Sprint.
“I gave it everything today. I am sorry I am not able to get the win, but [on Sunday] we fight again. We will try to turn a negative into a positive.”
Hamilton will start second on the grid today, behind Verstappen, with Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas third and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth.
Britain’s Lando Norris, who was named driver of the day last time out at the Austrian Grand Prix, will line up in fifth, while compatriot George Russell starts in ninth after receiving a three-place penalty for a clash with Carlos Sainz in the Sprint.
Lewis Hamilton wishes he could restart F1’s maiden Sprint following poor getaway
F1 British Grand Prix: Welcome!
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Formula One British Grand Prix.
At Silverstone today, Lewis Hamilton will look to maintain a trend of recent Formula One seasons while bucking a trend from the current campaign.
The defending F1 champion is a seven-time British Grand Prix winner, having won six of the last seven editions of the event, including in 2019 and 2020. But Hamilton faces a tough task as he pursues a third straight victory in the race, starting behind championship leader Max Verstappen again this afternoon.
Red Bull’s Verstappen is 33 points ahead of his Mercedes rival in the drivers’ standings, has won the last three races on the calendar, and emerged victorious in F1’s inaugural Sprint yesterday despite Hamilton starting on pole.
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