F1 news - Lewis Hamilton overtakes Charles Leclerc in final laps for controversial British GP win

Updated 18/07/2021 at 17:24 GMT

There was drama in the first lap as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen came together and the resulting crash sent the Dutchman out of the race. Hamilton was handed a ten-second penalty for the incident but it made no difference in the end as he was helped by some poor pit-stops from other drivers and team orders.

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 18: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone on July 18, 2021 in Northampton, England.

Image credit: Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton pulled off a sensational British Grand Prix win to revive his world championship hopes after an opening lap collision with Max Verstappen.

Hamilton’s chances of a victory looked to have been all but ended by the 10-second time penalty he was handed for his role in the crash, but the seven-times world champion fought back to take the lead from Charles Leclerc just two laps from the end.

The first ever F1 sprint race on Saturday saw Verstappen snatch pole position from Hamilton after the seven-times world champion had claimed P1 in Friday qualifying.

British Grand Prix

Hamilton subjected to racist abuse after Silverstone win

19/07/2021 at 08:30

Max Verstappen ahead of Lewis Hamilton

Image credit: Getty Images

An opening lap scrap between the two world championship leaders saw Hamilton and Verstappen clash with the latter ending up in the tyre wall before red flags were waved to end the session due to barrier damage.

Hamilton was handed a 10-second time penalty for his role in the collision as Leclerc established a lead after the restart and Lando Norris passed Valtteri Bottas to take third place.

Leclerc struggled with power unit issues throughout, but managed to maintain his advantage for much of the race as Hamilton served his time penalty when pitting.

Bottas complied with team orders to let Hamilton, the faster driver with better grip, past with 10 laps remaining. This released Hamilton to close the gap on Leclerc, who was passed with just two laps left at Copses, where he collided with Verstappen.

The victory sees Hamilton move within just eight points of Verstappen at the top of the drivers’ championship with the Hungarian Grand Prix next up on August 1.

DRIVER OF THE DAY - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

This was a controversial victory after tangling with championship rival Verstappen early on, but Hamilton still managed to produce a stunning race as he took the chequered flag. This was the 36-year-old at his aggressive best. Hamilton hasn’t raced like this in a number of years, but he hasn’t had to. With his status as the sport’s best under threat, Hamilton is pushing himself to the limits again.

Image credit: Getty Images

WHERE THE RACE WAS WON

1/52 - Big crash - Hamilton on Verstappen! Big impact! Hamilton and Verstappen stick with each other through the first few corners of the opening lap and there's contact between the two! Verstappen is into the tyre wall at high speed! That's a massive crash!

2/52 - Red flag - race is stopped! The stewards have decided to fly the red flags to clear up the debris of that incident. Verstappen is out of his car and looks to be ok. That's a relief. That was a big impact.

5/52 - 10-second time penalty! The stewards have handed out their time punishment to Hamilton for his role in the Verstappen collision and it's a 10-second time penalty for the world champion!

16/52 - Leclerc power unit problems! Oh dear! An issue for Leclerc whose engine lost power going through a couple corners! That has allowed Hamilton to close up the gap on the Ferrari. Hamilton is now close to being in DRS range!

Image credit: Getty Images

32/52 - Hamilton takes Norris! The defending world champion just had too much grip for Norris who couldn't do much to defend his position and Hamilton is back up into P3!

41/52 - Hamilton into P2! Indeed, there's the team orders on the Mercedes team radio for Bottas to let Hamilton past and he complies. Hamilton is into second place and will now do all he can to close the gap on Leclerc.

51/52 - Hamilton into P1! With just two laps remaining, Hamilton has taken the lead! It was Hamilton up the inside of Copses, but this time Leclerc backs out and runs wide that allowed the Mercedes to pass through! What drama!

HAMILTON WINS - He wins the British GP for a record eighth time! That's a victory that revives Hamilton's championship chances with just seven points between the defending world champion and Verstappen. He had to work hard for that one! Leclerc in second and Bottas in third with Norris in fourth.

BEST OVERTAKE OF THE DAY

Hamilton kept the best overtake of the day for the penultimate lap of the race when the 36-year-old kept his nerve down the inside of Copses, where he collided with Verstappen in the opening lap, to pass Leclerc and take the lead. This was an aggressive move that illustrated just how desperate Hamilton was for the victory.

BEST PIT EXCHANGE OF THE DAY

“Can I catch him?” Hamilton asked the Mercedes pit wall with just a few laps to go. “Yes you f****** can, mate,” came back the response from Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington. Mercedes were pumped up to win their home race in front of their home fans and Hamilton wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass him by.

British Grand Prix

Race Review – Brace yourselves, things are going to get very spicy from this point on

08/03/2023 at 12:13

British Grand Prix

Verstappen brands Hamilton 'disrespectful and unsportsmanlike'

18/07/2021 at 18:47

British Grand Prix

'He’s put a competitor at risk!' - Horner savages Hamilton over Verstappen crash

18/07/2021 at 18:55

Join 3M+ users on app

Stay up to date with the latest news, results and live sports

Download

Scan me