This archive report was first published on 3 August 2020.
On a dramatic day at Silverstone, world championship leader Lewis Hamilton reflected on two crucial successes after his thrilling three-wheel victory in the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton's win for Mercedes not only lifted him 30 points clear of team-mate Valtteri Bottas in this year's title race but also brought him closer to his goal of a record-equalling seventh championship.
However, his thoughts were initially consumed by the potentially disastrous tyre failure that occurred on the final lap, when his front left tyre laminated and disintegrated, leaving him running on three wheels.
"As the minutes go by, I feel worse and worse when I think about what just happened," Hamilton said late Sunday evening.
"In the heat of the moment, the adrenaline is going, but if the tyre gave up in a high-speed corner, it would have been a much different picture so I feel incredibly grateful that it didn’t…"
Hamilton's heart-stopping experience was a stark reminder of the risks involved in Formula One racing, and he praised his survival instincts for helping him bring the car home.
"It was my survival instinct that came out and I was able to stay calm and really measured to bring the thing home," he said.
On his final lap, a comfortable lead of over 30 seconds was cut to just 5.8 seconds as he crossed the chequered flag ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Team boss Toto Wolff praised Hamilton's composure under pressure and highlighted the importance of staying vigilant, even when things seem to be going smoothly.
"The race isn’t over until the flag drops," Wolff said.
Wolff also acknowledged that the team did not know the exact cause of the punctures, but suggested that debris could have been a contributing factor.
Hamilton also expressed satisfaction with the more organised anti-racism protest on the start-finish line before the race, which saw seven drivers stand while 13 took a knee.
"I am happy with what happened," Hamilton said.
"Formula One did a much, much better job after a lot of discussion last week about how we can come together and do it."
