Lewis Hamilton is the King of Silverstone again! Cue tears like he’s never cried before, emotions dating back to the moment his life turned upside down: Abu Dhabi 2021, and that night of infamy.
The Mercedes man, claiming a record-extending ninth victory at the British Grand Prix, told the pit wall: ‘Leave me to it, mate.’ That was just after he had taken the lead with 12 laps of this rain-splashed drama remaining. The day’s biggest cheer filled the air. He has been this place’s darling for nearly two decades, and 164,000 souls welcomed him home.
‘Thanks guys,’ he said emotionally after a pause, his voice cracking. ‘This means a lot to me. I love you guys.’ He was handed a Union Flag by a marshal and the crowd roared him all the way around his warm-down lap as he held it aloft in his fluorescent yellow right glove.
He stepped out and embraced his father, Anthony, for 20 seconds. His dad was the man who set him on the path to stardom. The winner’s crash helmet hid his moist eyes from examination. Then a long hug with his mother, Carmen.
His parents knew better than anyone how deeply cut their son was at losing what would have been his eighth world title to Max Verstappen in the desert. So distraught was Lewis that he nearly walked out on the sport, the only existence he has ever known.
Lewis Hamilton celebrates winning a record extending ninth British Grand Prix at Silverstone
An emotional Hamilton was seen in tears after earning his first victory since December 2021
Hamilton crossed the line 1.465 seconds ahead of world champion Max Verstappen
Hamilton was seen celebrating with his mother Carmen Larbalestier following his victory
The British star was seen crying into the arms of his father Anthony after a long awaited win
It was not a fleeting crisis, either, but one that could never be wiped away. His dad spent week upon week with him in America that winter. I believe it was the only prolonged time they have spent in each other’s company without talking about motor racing. It was too gut-wrenching a topic for that.
‘I can’t stop crying,’ said Hamilton after his 104th career win in the dry-wet-dry race. ‘We live in a time where mental health is such as serious issue and, I am not going to lie, I have experienced that.
‘It’s been so tough, but the important thing is how you continue to get up and dig deep even when you feel like you’re at the bottom of the barrel. There have been days since 2021 when I didn’t feel good enough.
‘It feels different from previous races. I have never cried from a win before; it just came out of me. And it is a great feeling, and I am grateful for it.’
That sense of self-doubt was reinforced by his failure to win a race for 945 days, dating back to the week before the Abu Dhabi debacle, in Saudi Arabia on December 5 of that fateful year. Now this. Redemptive solace on the stage he has commanded like no other.
Echoes of the past resounded. It was here 16 years ago that he unfurled one of the all-time great drives in blanket wet conditions. This time rain came and went, introducing a delicious jeopardy to the equation, as it had in qualifying when his team-mate George Russell grabbed pole 24 hours earlier.
Another reminder of past times – his British bulldog, Roscoe, was in the Mercedes motorhome, wearing a blue collar with Hamilton’s name and his ‘44’ number on it.
A final and more important throwback was delivered by the quality of Hamilton’s driving. He may be in the autumn of his career at 39, but still has the capability to get the job done when presented with the opportunity. He is not finished yet, not least with Mercedes finally finding the keys to his car. (What Ferrari will give to work with is another question.)
In truth, this might have been Lando Norris’s win, but he was kept out one lap too many on intermediate tyres and then his stop was painfully slow, 4.5 seconds. With those two missteps from his McLaren team – too rusty to be nimble fighting at the front, it seems – his chances of victory vanished. He might have won the last four races yet has won none of them.
Hamilton embraced his mother in a long hug with his parents understanding how deeply he had been impacted by missing out on the world title controversially in 2021
The Mercedes star made a point of thanking his race engineer Peter Bonnington, left
Bonnington and Verstappen, right, showered Hamilton with champagne on the podium
The win was a sweet one for Hamilton just as fellow Brits appeared to be taking the spotlight
While McLaren conduct a post-mortem, Hamilton can only celebrate the race-winning opening those slips granted him.
It was after 39 laps, the track drying, that he was called in for slick tyres, and then went 1.2sec quicker in the middle sector than then-leader Norris on his obsolete inters, prior to his delayed and botched stop.
And that was it – the lead exchanged hands. Hamilton was driving away and nothing was going to stop him. He kept his soft rubber alive brilliantly to the end.
How sweet for him, just as he was in danger of looking like an uncle to a new brood of British stars.
On Thursday at the pre-race press conference, the preponderance of questions were aimed at Norris, 24, rather than him. That had never happened before at Silverstone from the moment he made his debut here in 2007. Still, there was succour in more banners in the grandstands supporting him than anyone else.
Verstappen (left) and Hamilton (centre) were joined on the podium by Lando Norris (right)
Hamilton’s record-extending win was a very popular one and celebrated by his Mercedes team
This was 39-year-old Hamilton’s ninth British Grand Prix victory but his first since 2021
Hamilton looked thrilled as he lifted his trophy and draped the Union Jack flag around it
As for Norris, he finished third, passed by Verstappen on the outside of Stowe. Russell, 26, retired with water system failure after 34 laps. A big blow to him. He turned the radio airwaves blue.
But it was all hail Hamilton, happy to have ended the longest dry spell of his career. He had ever previously endured a winless season, let alone two-and-a-half years.
‘It is the most incredible honour to be standing on top of the podium, hearing the national anthem with the king’s name in it – that’s the first time I’ve had that,’ enthused Hamilton.
‘My first world championship in 2008 was incredible, and my parents were there, but it was difficult to absorb it all. Now is just a different point of life. My parents are getting older.
Hamilton was thrilled to have ended the longest dry spell of his career in front of a home crowd
Lando Norris, right, congratulated Hamilton after two McLaren errors proved costly for him
Hamilton and Mercedes celebrated the driver’s triumph in his final season at the team
Hamilton felt like a star again and described being back on top of the podium as an ‘incredible honour’
‘We all try to be there for each other even at a distance. It meant most to have them here and share this with them.’
The Netflix boom followed him all the way. Cameras clicked. Backs were slapped. Lewis Hamilton felt a star again.
