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2017-07-16 15:51:18 UTC
British GP: Hamilton takes dominant home win, disaster for Vettel
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/british-gp-hamilton-wins-silverstone-raikkonen-vettel-931576/
Lewis Hamilton took a record-equalling fifth British Grand Prix victory
in dominant fashion on home turf at Silverstone, slashing Sebastian
Vettel's championship lead to a single point.
From pole position, Hamilton took an early lead after a stoppage for
Jolyon Palmer's Renault on the warm-up lap, the result of brake-by-wire
and hydraulic problems, caused an aborted start and an extra formation lap.
The Mercedes driver quickly built up an advantage over the Ferrari of
second-placed Kimi Raikkonen, as Max Verstappen held up Vettel after
passing the points leader around the outside of The Loop on the opening
tour.
That was how the order at the front remained until the pitstops, where
Vettel was able to undercut Verstappen and move up to third, helped by a
slower stop for the Dutchman.
By the time Hamilton made his one and only stop on lap 25, he was 12
seconds clear of Raikkonen, and was never threatened thereafter as he
raced to a fourth win of the season and his fifth victory at
Silverstone, equalling Jim Clark and Alain Prost for British GP wins.
Raikkonen held second, but Vettel came under pressure from Valtteri
Bottas in the latter stages of the race, the Finn having recovered from
ninth on the grid following his five-place grid drop.
With Bottas going long on softs and then switching to supersofts, there
was nothing Vettel could do to hold off the Mercedes driver, who moved
ahead at Stowe on lap 43.
The Finn then set about closing on Raikkonen, who was suffering severe
tyre trouble in the closing stages, and passed just before his
compatriot had to make a second stop with three laps remaining.
That meant Bottas completed a Mercedes 1-2, 14 seconds behind Hamilton,
while Raikkonen took third a further 22 seconds back.
Vettel had been set for fourth after being demoted by Bottas, but a
dramatic front-left puncture for German as he entered Luffield on the
penultimate lap saw him drop down to seventh.
Verstappen inherited the place, also coming in for a precautionary late
second stop, followed by teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who moved up 14
places after starting on the back row to finish fifth.
Nico Hulkenberg was sixth in the sole surviving Renault, just two
seconds behind Ricciardo, followed by Vettel, Force India pair Esteban
Ocon and Sergio Perez, and the Williams of Felipe Massa.
Stoffel Vandoorne was the only finisher for McLaren in 11th, as Fernando
Alonso stopped just beyond half-distance with a drop in fuel pressure
and a subsequent loss of power.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/british-gp-hamilton-wins-silverstone-raikkonen-vettel-931576/
Lewis Hamilton took a record-equalling fifth British Grand Prix victory
in dominant fashion on home turf at Silverstone, slashing Sebastian
Vettel's championship lead to a single point.
From pole position, Hamilton took an early lead after a stoppage for
Jolyon Palmer's Renault on the warm-up lap, the result of brake-by-wire
and hydraulic problems, caused an aborted start and an extra formation lap.
The Mercedes driver quickly built up an advantage over the Ferrari of
second-placed Kimi Raikkonen, as Max Verstappen held up Vettel after
passing the points leader around the outside of The Loop on the opening
tour.
That was how the order at the front remained until the pitstops, where
Vettel was able to undercut Verstappen and move up to third, helped by a
slower stop for the Dutchman.
By the time Hamilton made his one and only stop on lap 25, he was 12
seconds clear of Raikkonen, and was never threatened thereafter as he
raced to a fourth win of the season and his fifth victory at
Silverstone, equalling Jim Clark and Alain Prost for British GP wins.
Raikkonen held second, but Vettel came under pressure from Valtteri
Bottas in the latter stages of the race, the Finn having recovered from
ninth on the grid following his five-place grid drop.
With Bottas going long on softs and then switching to supersofts, there
was nothing Vettel could do to hold off the Mercedes driver, who moved
ahead at Stowe on lap 43.
The Finn then set about closing on Raikkonen, who was suffering severe
tyre trouble in the closing stages, and passed just before his
compatriot had to make a second stop with three laps remaining.
That meant Bottas completed a Mercedes 1-2, 14 seconds behind Hamilton,
while Raikkonen took third a further 22 seconds back.
Vettel had been set for fourth after being demoted by Bottas, but a
dramatic front-left puncture for German as he entered Luffield on the
penultimate lap saw him drop down to seventh.
Verstappen inherited the place, also coming in for a precautionary late
second stop, followed by teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who moved up 14
places after starting on the back row to finish fifth.
Nico Hulkenberg was sixth in the sole surviving Renault, just two
seconds behind Ricciardo, followed by Vettel, Force India pair Esteban
Ocon and Sergio Perez, and the Williams of Felipe Massa.
Stoffel Vandoorne was the only finisher for McLaren in 11th, as Fernando
Alonso stopped just beyond half-distance with a drop in fuel pressure
and a subsequent loss of power.
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My mirror continues its finite yet unbounded journey.
My mirror continues its finite yet unbounded journey.