Lewis increases title lead after inspired pit call to put on intermediate tyres; Vettel snatches third after Williams' strategy error; First points of season for Alonso
Wednesday 8 July 2015 11:49, UK
Lewis Hamilton won the British GP for the third time on Sunday – eventually – after having to overcome a fast start from both Williams drivers as well as rain showers which struck Silverstone.
A late call for intermediate tyres by Hamilton proved to be the race's pivotal moment as he overcame a spirited charge from Rosberg and another slow start from pole position to claim his 38th F1 win.
The world champion and Mercedes team-mate Rosberg were both left standing at the lights as Felipe Massa streaked away from third place on the grid.
With Williams team-mate Valtteri Bottas also managing to get ahead, Hamilton had to wait until the first round of pit stops to reclaim the lead.
He then built a lead of about six seconds over Massa, with Bottas narrowly keeping third place from Rosberg. However, rain which arrived on lap 36 of the 52-lap race switched the order around.
First of all, Rosberg seemed to come alive in the conditions and was able to pass both Williams cars in quick succession. He then closed up on Hamilton and briefly took the lead when the latter made his second stop on lap 43.
Hamilton switched to intermediate tyres this time and with the rain suddenly intensified again – forcing Rosberg and the rest of the field to also pit – his timing proved perfect.
"For the first time in my life I made the perfect choice on tyres," Hamilton beamed on the podium. "It's always tricky for the guy out in the lead, but I think it's the first time in my Formula 1 career I perfectly made the right choice as I could see the rain coming more."
"I had to take that chance, because following Lewis into the box is a definite lose. So I had to stay out," said Rosberg, who falls 17 points behind Hamilton in the drivers' title race. "That's where I lost it, but fair play to Lewis."
If Hamilton's timing was perfect, then much the same was true for Sebastian Vettel, who had run as low as ninth in the early stages but eventually climbed to finish third behind Rosberg after pitting his Ferrari on the same lap.
Massa came home fourth ahead of Bottas, whose afternoon turned out to be a particularly disappointing one.
Although it was Massa who caught the attention with his lightning getaway, Bottas arguably had the quicker car in the opening stages.
He followed his team-mate past Hamilton into the first corner and although the latter was soon back ahead, Bottas re-took the Mercedes when the Briton’s vigorous attempts to get past Massa during a Safety Car re-start on lap four instead saw him take to the grass.
Bottas was then ordered not to pass Massa, although he appeared ready to overtake him on the run down the Hangar Straight to Stowe corner.
It could be argued that Williams might have earned a better result if they’d let Bottas go, although subsequent events – they stopped a little late for intermediate tyres and also lost time double-stacking their cars – probably conspired against them anyway.
Behind Bottas, Daniil Kvyat finished sixth for Red Bull although team-mate Daniel Ricciardo retired with engine problems while Force India earned another double points finish with Nico Hulkenberg seventh and Sergio Perez ninth.
Kimi Raikkonen was eighth, having led Vettel most of the way but losing out towards the end after switching to wet tyres too early, with Fernando Alonso 10th and scoring his first point of the season for McLaren Honda.
Team-mate Jenson Button was one of seven retirements after becoming involved in the lap-one collision which brought out the Safety Car and also saw the retirements of Lotus pair Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado.
Toro Rosso drivers Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz also failed to finish, while engine problems meant that Felipe Nasr’s Sauber was unable to start the race.
Result:
1. L Hamilton, Mercedes, 52 laps
2. N Rosberg, Mercedes, +10.9s
3. S Vettel, Ferrari, +25.4s
4. F Massa, Williams, +36.8
5. V Bottas, Williams, +63.1
6. D Kvyat, Red Bull, +63.9
7. N Hulkenberg, Force India, +78.7
8. K Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1 lap
9. S Perez, Force India, 1 lap
10. F Alonso, McLaren, 1 lap
11. M Ericsson, Sauber, 1 lap
12. R Merhi, Manor, 3 laps
13. W Stevens, Manor, 3 laps
Ret. C Sainz, Toro Rosso
Ret. D Ricciardo, Red Bull
Ret. M Verstappen, Toro Rosso
Ret. P Maldonado, Lotus
Ret. R Grosjean, Lotus
Ret. F Nasr, Sauber
Ret. J Button, McLaren
