Sebastian Vettel Wins Formula 1 British Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel has extended his lead of the world championship after victory over Lewis Hamilton in a chaotic and controversial British GP.

On a dramatic afternoon at Silverstone Circuit, next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury, which featured two Safety Car deployments and countless track controversies, Hamilton finished second despite being hit by Vettel’s Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen on the first lap.

It was the second time in three races in which a Ferrari car had tangled with a Mercedes at the start, Fox Sports reported.

Furious Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the spate of first-lap clashes were “either deliberate or incompetence.”

Hamilton opted against speaking immediately after the race but then said on the podium: “We will keep fighting. Interesting tactics from their side.”

Valtteri Bottas led the race with five laps remaining but, running on old tires after Mercedes opted against pitting the Finn behind the Safety Car, was overtaken on successive laps by Vettel, Hamilton and Raikkonen.

The Finn later admitted it was a mistake to stay out - one of several strategic errors Mercedes have made this season.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth after team mate Max Verstappen spun into the gravel due to a brake-by-wire failure.

“We’ve won on their home ground,” Vettel said over team radio as he crossed the line with an eight-point lead of the championship.

A fast-starting Vettel had already taken the lead off pole-sitter Hamilton into the first corner before Raikkonen locked up and hit the side of Hamilton’s Mercedes into Turn Three.

The spin demoted the home favorite to the back of the grid before he launched a sustained and captivating surge through the field. Raikkonen was found guilty of causing the collision by the stewards and hit with a ten-second penalty.

 “It was my mistake, so that’s fine,” said Raikkonen. “I deserve it, I took the 10 seconds and got fighting.”

Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth for Renault after taking advantage of the messy first lap to jump five places, and he held that best-of-the-rest slot to the end.

Force India’s Esteban Ocon was a quiet but excellent seventh, as Fernando Alonso bested Magnussen in a fiery late fight to finish eighth. Pierre Gasly claimed the final point in 10th for Toro Rosso and Honda.