JOIN USHave been giving my all the past week: Hamilton
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said he has been giving it everything in terms of performance and the result was the home victory in the Formula 1 British Grand Prix on Sunday.
“I have been giving my all the past week, working in the factory, just giving it everything to uncover performance in this car with the guys. I am so proud of everyone for continuing to work, even though we had to recover a deficit,” said the seven-time and reigning champion.
"As always, I tried to be measured in how I approached the race, particularly battling with Max (Verstappen). He’s very aggressive but I was fully alongside him and he didn't leave me any space. Regardless of whether I agreed with the penalty, I took it on the chin and I just kept working. I was just like, 'I'm not going to let anything get in the way of the crowd's enjoyment of the weekend, the national anthem and the British flag'.
“I couldn't have done it without the great teamwork from Valtteri and the amazing effort from the team. So, I'm very grateful and just so happy to deliver this result for the team and the fans,” he added.
With this win and Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen crashing out of the race at Silverstone, the points gap between the drivers has narrowed down. Verstappen now leads the drivers’ championship with 185 points, while Hamilton is on 177. McLaren’s Lando Norris is on 113, while Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas is on 108. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez is on 104.
Bottas said: “The main issue for me was losing a place at the start. During the race, we only had one option when Lando had a slow pit stop. We had to pit as well, even though we knew the second stint would be long, and that's how it proved - it was tough towards the end of the race with the tyres blistering badly.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “We have seen a dramatic and exciting race with Lewis winning the British Grand Prix again and catching Charles (Leclerc of Ferrari) at the end. I think that was something for everybody. As for the incident between Lewis and Max, it always takes two to tango and these two competitors were not giving each other an inch. It's a high speed corner and that's why these things are nasty to look at, but there is a clear regulation that is black and white on paper - if the front axle is over the middle of the car on the outside, it is your corner."
Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal said: “This is an incredibly difficult way to end the British Grand Prix weekend and it goes without saying that we are all just thankful Max was able to walk away from the car, despite later being taken to hospital for precautionary checks, where he currently remains for observation.
“I have reviewed the footage many times and still cannot help but feel that putting a wheel up the inside at Copse Corner, one of the fastest corners in this World Championship, was ill-judged and a huge risk by Lewis to both drivers. He was not significantly alongside Max as you can see from the point of contact, Lewis’ front left to Max’s right rear. The move was never on and resulted in a 51G impact for Max," he added.