Lewis Hamilton’s win in Silverstone confirmed Mercedes’ return to the top, as the Silver Arrows have now won back-to-back races for the first time since 2021. However, Hamilton doesn’t give the first of the two victories – George Russell in Austria – as much heed. This is because, it was based on luck, according to the seven-time champion.
Russell was in P3 when race leader Max Verstappen and Lando Norris came together in Spielberg two weeks ago. It ended Norris’ race, and Verstappen with a changed set of tires and a 10-second penalty dropped to P5.
At the right place at the right time, Russell capitalized on this and won the Austrian GP. It was a great result for Mercedes on their path to resurgence, but Hamilton made a compelling statement after his 104th Grand Prix win in Silverstone last Sunday.
“I think George’s win last week was amazing, but it wasn’t on pure pace and I think this weekend was the first time we did it on pure pace.”
STILL WE RISE pic.twitter.com/6EtGCDGjAr
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) July 7, 2024
However, that isn’t to say he doesn’t appreciate Russell’s performance or Mercedes’ growth. At the start of the season, all hope looked lost for Hamilton as the team continued to struggle in the midfield. But the Brackley-based team never gave up, and they are now in the mix for race wins once again.
Hamilton pointed out the strong start to the British GP for both himself and Russell. “Pulling in that first stint, both of us pulling away from everybody else…”
Unfortunately for Russell, a water system issue with his car forced him to retire but it was ecstasy for Hamilton, who collected the winner’s trophy in front of his home fans for the ninth time in his F1 career.
An emotional Lewis Hamilton’s redemption weekend
Before Silverstone 2024, Hamilton’s last race win came at the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP; almost three years ago. The wait was long and painful, and the legendary F1 driver had to endure the difficulty of being stuck behind faster cars on the race track.
We never gave up. We never stopped believing ❤️ pic.twitter.com/jeLlvdIYAb
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) July 7, 2024
As such, when the 39-year-old crossed the chequered flag on Sunday, emotions got the better of him. Just like after winning his seventh championship in Turkey 2020, Hamilton cried on the team radio as his race engineer Peter Bonnington roared in delight.
The Briton also waved the flag of the United Kingdom proudly, as Mercedes can hold their own head high. They are now back, and seemingly in the mix to challenge for more wins in the races to come.
