The GIST: It’s been 84 years 945 days, but Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton — the winningest driver in Formula 1 (F1) history — is back atop the podium after taking the checkered flag in yesterday’s thrilling British Grand Prix (GP), his home race.
- The W marked a historic day for Hamilton and a reminder that parity — and all the drama that comes with it — just might be back on the grid. Vroom, vroom.
A record-breaking day: Already widely considered to be the greatest racing driver of all time, the Brit further cemented his legacy yesterday — Hamilton ’s now won nine times at his home track, surpassing the legendary Michael Schumacher’s previous record of eight wins at a single circuit.
- And that’s not all: Hamilton also extended his F1 record for race wins and race podiums, securing his 104th career dub and 199th top-three finish. All in a day’s work.
Parity in the paddock: Two-time defending champ Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished second yesterday, has dominated the track for the last two seasons, winning 34 of the 44 GPs, a trend that many found incredibly boring. But with six different winners over the last 10 GPs, the drama is finally back, baby.
- And it’s not just drivers getting the job done — teams composed of engineers, mechanics, and strategists work behind the scenes all season to better their race cars. Mercedes and McLaren, for example, have brought substantial engineering upgrades over the last few races, closing the gap to current top dog, Red Bull.
The final word: With 12 of this year’s F1-record 24 races still to come, the race for the World Driver’s Championship is nowhere near done. Buckle up.