Lewis Hamilton won an F1 race after 954 days, breaking the record for the most number of wins in a single circuit (9), and becoming first Briton with a Knighthood to stand on the top step of the podium. Not as impressive, but he crossed another hurdle at the British GP. This was the ‘Nico Rosberg Curse’, which didn’t affect his performance whatsoever.
The curse in question gained popularity after Rosberg would express his support for a particular driver ahead of a race weekend, and it would be followed by unfortunate incidents plaguing their Grand Prix. The German driver, ahead of the race in Silverstone, publicly backed Hamilton to win.
“I’m going to go for Lewis Hamilton today. Because I think Mercedes is looking really good,” he said.
Previously, Rosberg’s public support for Hamilton had resulted in misfortune for the Briton. In Hungary 2023, Hamilton got the pole position in Qualifying, but slipped down to P4 in the race, with many blaming the curse.
“I’m going to go for… Lewis Hamilton today!”
Nico Rosberg makes his British Grand Prix prediction pic.twitter.com/CPxaD3dsg4
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 7, 2024
It took a mega effort and a special performance from Hamilton but he eventually overcame the curse. The 39-year-old held his nerve in the final few laps despite a charging Max Verstappen being on his tail, and the Silverstone crowd erupted in joy when he crossed the finish line.
Lewis Hamilton overwhelmed by his race win in the 2024 British GP
Hamilton couldn’t hold back his tears after winning the British GP on Sunday. His last race win came in 2021, and he had to endure two long and difficult seasons before breathing a sigh of relief in Silverstone.
Before his victory, no driver in F1 history had won a race 17 years after their first. No one had also won after crossing the 300 Grand Prix mark. But Hamilton changed all that with his performance in front of his home fans.
The Stevenage-born driver celebrated his British GP win unlike ever before. One of the stewards handed him a flag of the United Kingdom which he waved around the circuit. Now that Mercedes is a winning team again, Hamilton will be hoping to replicate these scenes in more races this season.
