Hamilton needing a Silverstone fightback
Max gulps down the aperitif but will Hamilton feast on the main course?
LEWIS HAMILTON cut a dejected figure after a poor start kiboshed his dream of winning the historic first sprint at Silverstone.
Max Verstappen took that honour and the pole position it conveys with an impressive victory to the dismay of 105,000 mostly partisans crammed into the sunlit track.
The good news for Lewis is that if this had been the British Grand Prix, rather than the 17-lap experimental dash, he would not have won it. But he has another chance today in what, let’s not forget, remains the Sunday roast to the aperitif.
As it is, though, the Briton slipped 33 points behind Verstappen, having taken the runner-up’s two points to Verstappen’s three. Valtteri Bottas finished third and claimed a point. The one major fizz of excitement occurred, as it was bound to, on the opening lap when Hamilton, starting on the front, was stuck in treacle and Verstappen zipped.
The Dutchman, having kicked up gravel running a fraction wide out of Luffield, then held his pursuer off through Copse at 180mph and drove on to a comfortable win.
Applying vinegar to Hamilton’s wound, the new post-sprint procedures saw the top three directed to a bus in which they were driven round to be interviewed and wave to the crowd. It must have felt like Hades to Lewis, who has never confused disaster and triumph and treated them the same.
Verstappen was then presented by master of ceremonies, Jenson Button, with a wreath. It looked a bit budget, not like a smart one you’d see on a posh house at Christmas.
Turning to Hamilton, Button put on a doleful voice you might employ when telling a widow her cat has been run over, trying to soothe his former McLaren team-mate. Button told him at least it was only a point he had lost. To which Hamilton snapped back at the bus conductor: ‘Every point counts, man.’
Freed from the cage, his countenance was barely lighter. Winning at Silverstone means so much to him, a feat he has managed a record seven times, including a performance in the wet in 2008 that ranks among the greatest-ever displayed by anyone in any era.
The impression he gave of being in a miserable mood was worsened by his voice taking on a deeper timbre, seemingly a result of hay fever.
‘I can’t say I enjoyed the sprint but it’s nice to have more races, that’s for sure. It was very much the same as the last few weeks, in terms of just following behind Max.’
But who was to blame for the sluggishness off the line? Not Lewis, according to Lewis.
He explained: ‘We have a target position you have to hit with the clutch at the start. The goal is always to be on target and I was on target but it didn’t deliver for whatever reason. I had a lot of wheel spin and the rest is history.’
The sprint was not entirely without incident. Fernando Alonso in his Alpine scythed from 11th to fifth on the opening lap, before finishing seventh. Red Bull’s somewhat erratic No2 Sergio Perez pirouetted off coming out of Chapel, plunging him down the field and into eventual retirement.
Hamilton was at least pleased with the reworked schedule of qualifying on Friday, sprint on
Saturday, each in turn shaping the grid for Sunday’s big one, which is being trialled three times this season.
Of qualifying, where he drove brilliantly to finish fastest, the defending champion said: ‘Yesterday was enjoyable the way it was organised with the one practice session and then into qualifying.
‘In my opinion it only needs to be a Saturday/Sunday weekend and that means we have 23 days fewer driving these cars around the track. Obviously, that will be better in going more green.’
Moving on the sprint racing, he made a good point: ‘It’s so difficult for us to pass and unfortunately we need pit stops and strategy to try to help. It’s so hard to get close. But the fans enjoyed it from what we saw on the parade lap. It’s always nice having more races but we only have one event tomorrow, right?’