Lewis Hamilton has ended his long wait for another Formula 1 triumph with victory in a thrilling British Grand Prix on Sunday.
Although the legendary British driver went into this race with eight wins at Silverstone to his name, it had been two-and-a-half years since the seven-time world champion last tasted success in the sport.
However, in a race that will live long in the memory, the 39-year-old edged out Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to register his 104th Formula 1 success.
The race lead swung back and forth, with George Russell initially heading the pack before rain brought about a period of chaos where it was unclear which tyres were suited to the conditions.
McLaren pair Norris and Oscar Piastri negotiated the conditions better, enabling the former to take the lead, while Championship leader Verstappen was nothing more than a side-show in his Red Bull.
Nevertheless, two untimely decisions cost McLaren. Rather than double-stack their drivers in the pit lane at the final tyre change, Piastri stayed out and lost ground on his rivals.
More crucially, though, Norris and his team went for the soft tyres, rather than mediums, and the British driver could not keep pace with Hamilton during the closing stages, nor fend off Verstappen.
He still can't quite believe it! 🤩#F1 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/kq16MqsCJR
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 7, 2024
From Hamilton's perspective, Norris remaining in front of Verstappen for a number of laps proved crucial, enabling him to manage his soft tyres and cross the line 1.465 seconds clear of the Dutchman.
What did Hamilton have to say?
Hamilton was audibly emotional as he addressed his team in the immediate aftermath of his success, with that followed by an extended celebration with his team members, family and the British crowd.
Speaking to Sky Sports once leaving his car, Hamilton acknowledged that the 945-day wait for another success had been a mental battle.
He said: "It's tough for anyone but the important thing is how you continue to get up and you've got to continue to dig deep even when you feeling the bottom of the barrel.
"There's definitely been days between 2021 and here where I didn't feel like I was good enough or if I was going to get back to where I am today but the important thing is I have great people around me continuing to support me and my team. Every time I turn up and see them and put in the effort that really encouraged me to do the same thing.
"My fans when I see them around the world they have been so supportive so a big thank you to everyone back at the factory and everyone here I love you guys."
BONO: "Get in there, Lewis. You the man!"
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 7, 2024
Too right! #F1 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/IqqqOMNgMi
Who else finished in the top 10?
Piastri was able to come home in fourth, but the rest of the field were in the distance, headed by Carlos Sainz Jr whose Ferrari was 47.318 seconds behind Hamilton.
Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda completed the top 10, the likes of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez down in 14th and 17th place respectively.
Despite finishing in second, Verstappen extends his Championship lead over Norris to 84 points, with Leclerc still holding onto third by four points to Sainz Jr.
Hamilton remains eighth in the standings, one point adrift of Russell who had to retire his car shortly after the midway point due to an issue with the water cooling system.
Darren Plant
