Seven-time defending Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton overcame a 10-second penalty after a first lap clash with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and won the 2021 British Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took home second place ahead of Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas, in the third and final podium position.
Verstappen began the race on pole position and alongside Hamilton in the first row – only this time, unlike Saturday’s sprint race – Hamilton got a better, quicker start and stayed on Verstappen through multiple corners before they finally, seemingly inevitably, touched wheels as Hamilton attempted a pass on a corner, sending Verstappen spinning into the gravel and cushioned barrier.
The race was red-flagged while Verstappen’s car and resulting debris were cleared from the track but controversy then ensued as race stewards debated between two options – issuing a time penalty to Hamilton or calling it a “racing incident” with no penalty – and finally, they settled on a 10-second penalty for Hamilton for causing the clash.
While Hamilton and Verstappen were clashing, Leclerc took advantage and passed Hamilton for the lead on that first lap. When the race restarted with a standing start on the third lap, Leclerc was in pole position and beat Hamilton off the line to remain in first place for the next 49 laps.
Hamilton pitted on Lap 28, took his 10-second penalty, and emerged in fifth place and approximately 35 seconds behind Leclerc. Hamilton then moved into third place on the track before Leclerc finally pitted and emerged approximately 13 seconds in front of Hamilton – with Bottas in between both of them.
Bottas was issued team orders to allow Hamilton to pass him and when Hamilton did just that on Lap 40, he was 8.6 seconds behind Leclerc and slowly hunted down Leclerc until he finally passed him – at the same corner of his clash with Verstappen – on Lap 50 and then comfortably cruised home for his eighth British Grand Prix victory.
With the win, Hamilton cuts Verstappen’s season driver’s standings lead to eight points.
2021 British Grand Prix Top 10
1] Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2] Charles Leclerc Ferrari
3] Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
4] Lando Norris McLaren
5] Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
6] Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari
7] Fernando Alonso Alpine
8] Lance Stroll Aston Martin
9] Esteban Ocon Alpine
10] Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri