Verstappen beats Mercedes to F1’s 70th Anniversary GP win

Max Verstappen beat the Mercedes duo to victory in Formula 1’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix with Red Bull pulling off a brilliant strategy.

Verstappen started fourth on the grid running the Hard compound which enabled him to run longer into the first stint compared to the Medium-shod Mercedes duo, both of whom were struggling with tyre degradation amid hot temperatures.

Despite a slow pit-stop when he came in on Lap 26, Verstappen returned to the track just behind Bottas and snatched the lead with a brilliant around-the-outside pass at Luffield.

Verstappen went on to secure his ninth career grand prix victory, delivering Red Bull its first win at Silverstone since 2012.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton ran a longer second stint than Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas and overtook the Finn at Brooklands with three laps to go to secure second place and equal Michael Schumacher’s record of 155 podium finishes in F1.

Bottas finished seven seconds behind Hamilton in the end as he struggled on his older Hard tyres. Bottas has now fallen behind Verstappen in the championship and 34 points adrift of Hamilton. 

Charles Leclerc claimed a brilliant fourth for Ferrari as only one of two drivers who successfully pulled off a one-stop race, with Alex Albon taking fifth place for Red Bull.

Lance Stroll headed Racing Point teammate Nico Hulkenberg in sixth place as the Silverstone-based outfit secured a strong points haul at its home race.

Esteban Ocon pipped McLaren’s Lando Norris to eighth place for Renault, while Daniil Kvyat overcame AlphaTauri teammate Pierre Gasly to claim the final point on offer in 10th.

Sebastian Vettel endured another torrid race at Silverstone for Ferrari. It turned into a recovery drive from the back of the field after the four-time world champion spun off all by himself at Abbey on the first lap, before ultimately rising to 12th.

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz was the last driver to finish on the lead lap in 13th, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo who fell from his fifth place starting position and had a costly spin while battling the Spaniard just shy of mid-distance.

The Australian finished well clear of the one-stopping Alfa Romeo of Kimi Raikkonen, who took 15th ahead of Romain Grosjean’s Haas and teammate Antonio Giovinazzi.

George Russell led home the Williams pair in 18th, finishing just 0.882s behind Giovinazzi’s Alfa and half a second clear of teammate Nicholas Latifi, while Kevin Magnussen was the only retirement.