2015 British Grand Prix

Lore & Background

Lewis Hamilton was the defending race winner, and came into the event with a ten-point lead over teammate Nico Rosberg in the World Drivers' Championship. In the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes were leading Ferrari by 136 points, with Williams a further 63 points adrift. Hamilton took pole position during Saturday's qualifying, his eighth of the season, ahead of Rosberg and the two Williams of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. The first lap of the race saw Massa and Bottas take first and second place respectively through fast starts. They were able to hold their positions until the pit stops. Rain in the latter part of the race gave Sebastian Vettel the chance to overtake the two Williams for the last podium position. Hamilton won the race for the second consecutive year, 11 seconds ahead of his teammate, extending his championship lead to 17 points.

In Their Own Story

Rain threatened to wash out Silverstone, but the tarmac held firm as Lewis Hamilton locked eyes on the horizon behind his teammate Nico Rosberg. The roar of the home crowd was a physical force, vibrating through the W06's chassis as they thundered down Hangar Straight, V6 turbos screaming in unison. Hamilton didn't just follow; he hunted. He dove into Copse with surgical aggression, the tires singing against the asphalt, before executing the definitive strategic gamble. Emerging from the pits on fresh rubber ahead of Rosberg, he didn't look back. The gap stretched, not through luck, but through a masterclass in tire preservation that turned a tense home race into an inevitable coronation.

Reader's Guide

The race was held at Silverstone using its revised 2011 Arena Grand Prix layout. Pirelli nominated the medium (option) and hard (prime) dry-weather compounds, plus intermediate and full wet tyres. The race stewards were Lars Österlind, Andrew Mallalieu, and Nigel Mansell. In qualifying, Hamilton beat Rosberg by 0.113 seconds for pole, with Massa and Bottas taking the second row. The race saw a first-lap safety car after a multi-car collision involving Alonso, Button, Grosjean, and Maldonado. Hamilton took the lead after a pit stop sequence, and rain allowed Vettel to claim the final podium spot.

Did You Know?

• The race marked the 900th Grand Prix contested by at least one car using a Ferrari engine.
• Force India introduced a B-spec version of their VJM08 with a shorter nose featuring 'nostrils'.
• Manor Marussia secured new sponsorship ahead of the race, changing its livery.
• The sell-out crowd was 140,000.