Lewis Hamilton has pulled off some miraculous moments in his long and successful F1 career. Up there on that list is the time he won the British Grand Prix in 2020 with his front left tire nearly down to the rim.

The 2020 British Grand Prix was ridden with punctures, safety cars and tire failures. More than three drivers suffered random punctures, either due to on-track debris or riding the curbs too aggressively.

One of those drivers was home hero Hamilton, who was leading the event from the start but suffered a front-left tire puncture with less than a lap to go.

Despite the odds, Hamilton nursed his car across the line to take the checkered flag.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen was hunting down the Briton but was more than 25 seconds behind him, following a free pitstop after Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas’ tire failure. It is not clear how Lewis Hamilton managed to clinch the victory, barely having enough rotation to make the corners. Fans praised the driver’s race-craft, calling it one of his best performances in the sport.

Watch a clip of the race below:

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The seven-time world champion’s victory at Silverstone was historic. It was his seventh win in his home race, a feat not achieved by any driver up until that point.

Lewis Hamilton’s reaction to his epic 2020 British Grand Prix victory
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Max Verstappen was rapidly catching Lewis Hamilton, who had suffered a puncture in his front-left tire on the final lap of the race at Silverstone. With a gap of more than 20 seconds, however, Hamilton came across the line with more than 5 seconds to spare. The Briton was uncertain of his victory, claiming he could “hear” Verstappen slowly gaining time to him. Speaking in a post-race interview, he said:

“I made some switch changes to lock the Diff [On-throttle differential] and just my hardest to get around without losing too much time. I could hear him catching me. 30 seconds, 20 seconds, 19,18,15,10,7 and I remember thinking ‘Jesus, this is one of the most horrible feelings’ to hear someone catch you on that lap and get overtaken just before the line or something.”
Despite the close call, the Mercedes driver won the race, making him the first driver to win his home race seven times. The count was then raised to eight, as the Briton won again in 2021, cementing his place as the most successful British driver.

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Edited by Anurag C