Verstappen halts Mercedes’ winning streak in 70th Anniversary Grand Prix
SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won Formula One’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday to end Mercedes’ run and become Lewis Hamilton’s closest challenger.
In a race dominated by tires and strategy, Hamilton swept past Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas to take second place late in the race and stay 30 points clear in the standings.
Six-time world champion Hamilton, who gained an extra point for fastest lap, also equalled Ferrari great Michael Schumacher’s record of 155 career podium finishes.
“I didn’t see it coming, but after the first stint it seemed like we were really good on tires,” said Verstappen as he celebrated his ninth win that left him with 77 points to Hamilton’s 107.
“Of course there was a question mark how Mercedes were going to go on the hard tire. We had a lot of pace in the car and I didn’t really have a lot of tire issues at all. We just kept pushing.”
Bottas dropped to third overall on 73 points after starting on pole position in a race again run without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth, ahead of Red Bull’s Alexander Albon. Racing Points duo of Canadian Lance Stroll and stand-in teammate Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
Renault’s Esteban Ocon was eighth with McLaren’s Lando Norris ninth and Russian Daniil Kvyat taking the final point for AlphaTauri.
“As a team we were sleeping at some point when Max managed to get ahead of us and my strategy was far, far from ideal. Lots to learn from today, I think,” said the Finn.
Verstappen was alone among the top 10 on the grid to start on the hard tires and it paid off.
The champions were mindful that Hamilton and Bottas had both suffered late blowouts at the previous weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, when Hamilton won on three wheels, in trying to eke out a one-stopper.
Pirelli had brought softer tires this time, forcing a change of strategy, and Mercedes were ill at ease in a fast-changing two-stop race.
Red Bull piled on the pressure, forcing Hamilton into a second pit stop with 11 laps to go when he was leading and looked like he might be considering a one-stopper.
“We haven’t really had an opportunity in all the races so far to push them and I could see we were pushing them. I tried to put the pressure on, they had to pit, I did my own pace,” Verstappen said.