Mercedes break down secrets of Lewis Hamilton’s British GP win

Mercedes have explained how the call to switch onto softs for the final stint was key to Lewis Hamilton’s victory at the F1 British Grand Prix.

Seven-time world champion clinched a record-extending ninth British Grand Prix win in a thrilling wet-dry race at Silverstone, having overcome McLaren’s Lando Norris before holding off world championship leader Max Verstappen.

The decisive moment in the race came when Mercedes called Hamilton into the pits to switch to slicks following a spell of rain. Hamilton was able to jump ahead of Norris after he pitted a lap later and overshot his marks in the McLaren pits.

Hamilton had to fend off a late charge from 2021 title rival Verstappen in the closing four laps but managed his tyres and proved to have enough of a gap to claim his first F1 victory in almost three years.

“We did have to do something different, that was very simple,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explained after Hamilton’s first win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

"We didn’t believe the hard was the right tyre to go. In hindsight, probably the right order of priority would be medium, hard, soft. That’s what would have been the quickest.

“But we saved it at the end. I think our tyre deg was good compared to the McLarens and that secured the victory.”

Asked if Hamilton himself had made the call for softs, Wolff replied: “I think the communication with the driver today was very good and we kept the channel open at all times.

“Among ourselves we kept discussing the pros and cons, we were monitoring the gaps and the strategy said we believe the crossover is now. And that was spot on, that was the perfect time to pit.”

Norris admitted he and McLaren had “thrown away” another potential win with two poor strategy calls.

“[We are] not making the right decisions, but at the same time I blame myself today for not making some of the right decisions. I hate it. I hate ending in this position and having excuses for not doing a good enough job.

“So many things were going well, and we threw it away in the final stop. It was one lap, but also I don't think it was the lap.

"I think even if I boxed on the perfect lap, our decision to go onto the soft was the wrong one, and I think Lewis still would have won no matter what. Two calls from our side cost us everything today so, especially here, it's pretty disappointing."