GP of Silverstone 2008: When Lewis Hamilton Won with Over a Minute Lead!

by Stefano Zambroni

Lewis Hamilton’s victory at the 2008 British Grand Prix, where the Briton triumphed in wet conditions with over a minute’s advantage

The Grand Prix of Great Britain 2008, held at the legendary Silverstone circuit, showcased Hamilton’s exceptional skills. Starting from fourth position, the crowd favorite demonstrated his prowess in wet conditions, securing his first home victory with a commanding lead over the second-place finisher.

GP of Silverstone 2008: The Start of the Grand Prix
GP of Silverstone 2008: The Start of the Grand Prix

The race start

At the start, although it wasn’t raining, the track was wet. Hamilton immediately showed his intent to dominate by overtaking Mark Webber and putting pressure on his teammate, Heikki Kovalainen, who started from pole position. However, he had to maintain his position behind the Finn, while Kimi Räikkönen settled into third place. Early contenders faced immediate setbacks: Webber spun at Hangar Straight, slipping to the back of the pack, while Coulthard and Vettel collided, both retiring from the race.

In the early laps, Alonso made progress while Hamilton continuously pressured Kovalainen. The pivotal moment came on the fifth lap at Stowe corner: Hamilton finally passed his teammate, taking control of the race. The British driver quickly pulled away, accumulating a substantial lead, while Kovalainen also spun, relinquishing second place to Kimi Räikkönen.

GP of Silverstone 2008: Hamilton Overtakes Kovalainen
GP of Silverstone 2008: Hamilton Overtakes Kovalainen

At the twentieth lap, Räikkönen began closing the gap to Hamilton, capitalizing on the British driver’s tire wear. Both drivers then pitted on the 21st lap: Hamilton opted for new intermediate tires, whereas Räikkönen stayed on his used set. This decision proved costly for the Finn as rain arrived shortly after, giving Hamilton a significant advantage of approximately 5 seconds per lap, amounting to a half-minute gap between the two.

GP of Silverstone 2008: Lewis Hamilton's Victory
GP of Silverstone 2008: Lewis Hamilton’s Victory

Hamilton’s dominance

The track conditions deteriorated significantly: Piquet Jr. and Kubica retired, and the Ferraris struggled to stay on track. In contrast, Hamilton maintained an impressive pace: the British driver held a 40-second lead over Nick Heidfeld, who was second at that point, with fifteen laps remaining.

GP of Silverstone 2008: Lewis Hamilton's Victory
GP of Silverstone 2008: Lewis Hamilton’s Victory

The conclusion, needless to say, was a showcase of Lewis’s talent in wet conditions. Hamilton lapped all but two drivers, Heidfeld (2nd) and Barrichello (3rd), who finished with 68 and 82 seconds behind, respectively. It was an all-English victory that had been missing for 8 years: a triumph that cemented the young Stevenage native’s legendary qualities, as he went on to win his first of seven career titles at the end of the year.

Photo: Formula 1

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