Silverstone, July 19: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won a pulsating and controversial Formula 1 British Grand Prix, fighting back from a penalty for a first-lap tangle with Max Verstappen to take the lead from Charles Leclerc with two laps to go.
Starting first and second on the grid, the two title rivals immediately duelled for the lead before Hamilton’s left-front tyre snagged Verstappen’s right-rear as the two went through Copse corner, sending the Dutchman careening into the barriers at high speed and bringing out the red flag.
Emerging from his car unaided to sympathetic applause from many of the 140,000 fans in attendance, Verstappen was taken to hospital for precautionary checks on Sunday evening, reports Xinhua.
With the race restarted on lap 4, Hamilton made his way past McLaren’s Lando Norris and his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas to hunt down Leclerc, who had led every lap since the restart with his Ferrari.
Though Hamilton had complained earlier in the race of the difficulty in following in the dirty air of the Ferrari, the Briton soon gained on Leclerc and took the lead at Copse on lap 50 of 52 to take a record-extending eighth British Grand Prix win.
Hamilton’s win comes at a good time, after Red Bull had won the previous five Grands Prix and Verstappen had started to take control of the championship. (IANS)
