Hamilton takes record seventh British GP win on three wheels

[webfact]

Hamilton takes record seventh British GP win on three wheels

By Alan Baldwin

 

Formula One F1 - British Grand Prix - Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain - August 2, 2020 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton celebrates winning the race on the podium with the trophy Pool via REUTERS/Frank Augstein

 

SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton limped to a record seventh British Grand Prix victory with his heart in mouth and a prayer on his lips after a dramatic last-lap puncture turned his Mercedes into a three-wheeler on Sunday.

 

In an astonishing end to a race he had dominated from pole position, the six-times world champion nursed his stricken Mercedes across the line to stretch his Formula One world championship lead to 30 points.

 

"I have definitely never experienced anything like that on the last lap," said Hamilton after inspecting his barely-attached front left tyre.

 

Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished second, but could have won had he not pitted for fresh tyres in a successful late bid to score an extra point for the fastest lap, assuming victory was out of reach.

 

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was third, another surprise for a team struggling for performance.

 

Hamilton's team mate and closest rival Valtteri Bottas failed to score after also suffering a late puncture and finishing 11th, despite a one-two finish for the pair having looked a nailed-on certainty until late in the race.

 

"Up until that last lap everything was relatively smooth sailing," said Hamilton of a race that was already extraordinary for the absence of spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

"I heard that his (Bottas's) tyre went and I was just looking at mine and everything seemed fine. The car was still turning no problem... Those last few laps I started to back off and then just down the straight it just deflated.

 

"That was definitely a heart in the mouth kind of feeling... I was just praying to get around and not be too slow. I nearly didn't get around the last few corners. Thank God we did."

 

The victory was the 87th of Hamilton's F1 career -- leaving him four short of Ferrari great Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 91 -- and his third in a row. It was also probably his greatest escape.

 

Verstappen's race engineer summed it up over the team radio: "He's a lucky boy.".

 

The Dutch driver said he was happy with second place and brushed aside talk of a missed win in a race with two safety car periods.

 

"I could also pick up a puncture and then you lose a lot more," he said. It's so easy to say afterwards we should have just continued. But who would have said Lewis would have got the puncture?

 

"I don't regret anything. I think we made the right decision."

 

Mercedes, chasing a seventh successive title double, have won all four races this season.

 

RICCIARDO FOURTH

Australian Daniel Ricciardo was fourth for Renault, ahead of future McLaren team mate Lando Norris, whose own team mate - Carlos Sainz - also had a puncture.

 

Frenchman Esteban Ocon ensured Renault's double points finish in sixth, with compatriot Pierre Gasly seventh for AlphaTauri and British-based Thai Alexander Albon riding a rollercoaster of a race to eighth place.

 

Canadian Lance Stroll was ninth for Racing Point, and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel took the final point.

 

The next round, the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix to mark Silverstone's hosting of the first world championship race in 1950, is at the same circuit next weekend. But it will struggle to match Sunday's sensation.

 

Only 19 of the 20 drivers started, with Racing Point stand-in Nico Hulkenberg failing to make it out of the garage due to power unit problems.

 

The German was replacing Mexican Sergio Perez, in quarantine after testing positive for the new coronavirus earlier in the week.

 

All the drivers took part before the start in a stance against racism, with Hamilton one of 13 taking a knee as the other seven stood behind.

 

A World War Two Spitfire fighter plane flew overhead afterwards in a gesture of thanks for Britain's National Health Service.

 

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Gareth Jones, Hugh Lawson and Pritha Sarkar)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-03

 

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[Tropicalevo]

Verstappen's race engineer summed it up over the team radio: "He's a lucky boy."

 

It is not luck that wins an F1 race on 3 wheels. That is skill.

[JoePai]

40 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Verstappen's race engineer summed it up over the team radio: "He's a lucky boy."

 

It is not luck that wins an F1 race on 3 wheels. That is skill.

I won my first face against my Nanny on a tricycle ????

[jesimps]

5 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Verstappen's race engineer summed it up over the team radio: "He's a lucky boy."

 

It is not luck that wins an F1 race on 3 wheels. That is skill.

I'm still waiting for Hamilton to tell us what this racism is that they're protesting about. In my last job for the UK government, there I didn't see one non-white person on the basic grade. There were lots of us white males on the bottom rung though. I can honestly state that in all my time in the forces and civilian life, I never saw one case of racism against a non-white. I'm convinced that most of Hamilton's grievances are perceived, I'd like him to give examples of racism he's encountered both in and out of the F1 world. Doesn't seem to have affected him much. Even if he had to work hard, then so would a white guy to get to the top in that sport. At least he was given the opportunity which I doubt he'd have received in his father's country of origin. 

Racism aside, mixing politics with sport and Hamilton intimidating the other drivers to join his BLM protests has put me right off him and the sport. I hope the other F1 supporters vote with their feet and forces the powers that be to restore some sanity to the sport. I also hope F1 turns against Hamilton, just like I have. He's gone from hero to troublemaker in my eyes.

[Thingamabob]

Thrown away by Red Bull. Why on earth did they call Verstappen in for that last tyre change ? 

[fangless]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Thrown away by Red Bull. Why on earth did they call Verstappen in for that last tyre change ? 

To get the extra point for fastest lap.

[TommyUK1960]

I see Lewis losing many friends and fans. Someone needs to tell this thick idiot that Black Lives Matter is a Radical far left / Marxist organisation. He needs to watch Youtube videos from Candace Owens. She tells the truth about this repugnant organisation.