Lewis Hamilton scores record-breaking win

Hamilton beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris after a thrilling rain-impacted race, his ninth victory in his home grand prix.

2024 F1 British Grand Prix results

2024 F1 British Grand Prix report

Polesitter George Russell (Mercedes) led the charge to Turn 1 from team-mate Hamilton, Norris and Verstappen, but Max drove around the outside of Norris at the Loop when the McLaren got boxed in behind Hamilton at the apex.

McLaren’s Oscar Pisatri ran fifth, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and a slow-starting Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), who then ran wide at Village. As he rejoined, that caused Fernando Alonso (Aston) to collect Alex Albon’s Williams but all continued.

Russell and Hamilton pulled clear out front, as Verstappen had no challenge for the Mercedes 1-2. Norris stayed in DRS range of Verstappen for the opening few tours, and towed Piastri along, but fell out of it by lap 10. Leclerc passed Stroll for seventh on lap 13 at Stowe.

Norris regained DRS on Verstappen on lap 14, as light rain started to fall, and DRS-ed past him into Stowe a lap later. Piastri did likewise three laps later, just as the rain began to fall harder on lap 17.

Hamilton got into DRS range of Russell and sling-shotted past him into Stowe on lap 18 to take the lead. Both then ran wide onto the run-off at Abbey, allowing Norris to lunge past Russell at The Loop for second.

Norris rocketed past Hamilton into Abbey on lap 20 to hit the front, as Piastri picked off Russell around the outside of Aintree as the rain intensified. Piastri made it a McLaren 1-2 by passing Hamilton into Stowe, as the rain relented. Norris survived a big moment at Maggotts, missing one element of the Becketts sequence that follows, to extend a 1.7s lead.

The rain returned on lap 27, with Verstappen the first of the leaders to pit for intermediates. A lap later, Norris, Hamilton and Russell all stopped as Piastri dared to stay out to lead as the shower intensified once more. Russell fell behind Verstappen due to being forced to double-stack behind Hamilton in the pitlane.

Norris almost caught Piastri by the time Oscar pitted a lap later, putting Lando back into the lead by 3s from Hamilton, Verstappen, Russell and Sainz. Piastri fell to sixth as the race entered its second half.

Russell was forced to retire from fourth place on lap 34 with a water system issue, as Hamilton took a second out Norris’s lead in the 10 laps of truly wet running.

Hamilton (changing inters for softs), Verstappen (hards) and Piastri (mediums) pitted on lap 39 as Norris and Sainz stayed out.

Norris pitted a lap later, rejoining on softs after overshooting his pitbox. That allowed Hamilton to take the lead, 2.5s ahead of Norris, who was well clear of Verstappen, Piastri and Sainz.

Verstappen began to charge on his hard tyres, setting a sequence of fastest laps in pursuit of Norris, who was slightly gaining on leader Hamilton.

Verstappen got into DRS range of Norris with five laps to go, just as his McLaren team-mate Piastri was setting fastest laps on fresh mediums. Verstappen zoomed around the outside of Norris at Stowe and set off after Hamilton, who was 3.3s up the road.

Verstappen closed to within 2.3s at the start of the final lap but never got close enough to challenge Hamilton, who took a famous ninth British GP victory by 1.4s.

Norris finished a disappointed third from Piastri and Sainz, who made a successful late bid for fastest lap with an extra pitstop for softs near the end.

Hulkenberg finished sixth from Stroll, Alonso, Albon and Yuki Tsunoda (RB).

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez started from the pitlane after changing his engine following his disastrous qualifying on Saturday. He made a terrible call for intermediates during the first rain shower and needed another set when it rained properly.

Leclerc also made the same strategy error, giving up a likely points finish to come home 14^th, three spots ahead of Perez.

Gasly didn’t start after pulling into the pits on the warm-up lap with a gearbox problem.

2024 F1 British Grand Prix fastest laps