Lewis Hamilton wins the British Grand Prix on three functioning tyres

Lewis Hamilton began the final lap of the 2020 British Grand Prix with a lead of more than half a minute. He finished with a collapsed front-left tyre, sparks beneath the Mercedes and Max Verstappen only 5.856 seconds behind.

Mercedes had controlled the weekend at Silverstone. Hamilton started from pole position, led from the opening lap and remained ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas through two safety-car periods.

The race appeared settled until the closing laps. Bottas suffered a front-left tyre failure on lap 50, dropping from second place and forcing him to complete almost a full lap before reaching the pits. Carlos Sainz experienced a similar failure while running fourth.

The tyre fails with half a lap remaining

Hamilton began the final lap still leading comfortably. His own front-left tyre then deflated on the run from Turn 7 towards Turn 8.

The Mercedes was difficult to turn and considerably slower on the straights, while the damaged tyre risked breaking apart and causing further damage. Hamilton reduced his speed through the corners but kept enough momentum to continue without stopping.

Verstappen had made a late pit stop for fresh tyres and an attempt at the fastest lap. Once Hamilton’s problem became clear, the Red Bull driver began closing rapidly. The gap fell throughout the final sector, but the finish line arrived first.

Five seconds preserve the victory

Hamilton won by 5.856 seconds. Verstappen finished second and Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari. Bottas fell outside the points after his own tyre failure.

The victory was Hamilton’s seventh in the British Grand Prix and the 87th of his Formula 1 career. It was also his third consecutive win at the beginning of a delayed season reorganised around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pirelli investigated the sequence of tyre failures, focusing on the unusually long final stint and the high loads generated at Silverstone. The following weekend’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix used softer compounds and higher prescribed pressures.

Hamilton’s result did not depend on driving quickly once the tyre failed. It depended on driving slowly enough to keep the car intact while remaining just fast enough that Verstappen could not complete the recovery.