At the end of Formula 1’s 70th anniversary Grand Prix, Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the checkered flag, breaking Mercedes’ winning streak of four races in a row.
Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas experienced severe tire issues the entire race at Silverstone due to the extreme heat, with trackside temperatures hitting 44°C (111°F). However, Red Bull’s choice to use hard tires throughout qualifying and the race proved to be wise.
Verstappen began the race in fourth place but advanced to third on the first corner right away. Even though Hamilton and Bottas got off to an early lead, the Dutchman stayed composed and watched for any Mercedes issues, which soon surfaced.
As early as lap six, Bottas was complaining about tire heat, and Hamilton’s
Verstappen took the lead with ten laps to go and never looked back, securing his ninth career win. “We had a lot of pace in the car and we kept pushing,” said the Dutchman. “We had a great day… we had the right strategy. I tried to put the pressure on [Mercedes] and they had to pit.”
Hamilton offered his congratulations to Red Bull and Verstappen, saying: “They didn’t have the blistering problems on the tires that we had today. It’s unexpected but I’m sure the team will work out what the issues have been. At the end I was driving with half a tire.”
Podium
Max Verstappen 1:19:41.993
Lewis Hamilton +11.326
Valtteri Bottas +19.231
Fastest lap
Hamilton 1:28.451
Best team
Red Bull – Mercedes may have taken the other two podium spots but their tires clearly struggled in the heat. Red Bull’s decision to go with hard tires ultimately proved crucial.
Drive of the day
Verstappen – The Dutchman and his team got their strategy just right and pounced at just the right time.
Biggest moment
While Verstappen did everything right, Sebastian Vettel spinning out of control on the first lap under no pressure summed up the German’s season.
