The chequered flag at the 2025 British Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton cross the line in a frustrating fourth position, bringing an end to a remarkable twelve-year run of podium finishes at his home circuit, Silverstone. While Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and a jubilant Nico Hulkenberg (scoring his improbable first podium from P19) celebrated, the seven-time world champion was left to dissect a race plagued by a challenging car and questionable tactical decisions.
Hamilton was blunt in his assessment of the car`s behaviour. Describing it as “snappy,” he highlighted a profound lack of stability that made it difficult to push with confidence. “It just has no stability,” he explained. “So you go to a corner, and it`s snapping, snapping, snapping… It just won`t stay still and that makes it so difficult. And in the low speed, it doesn`t like to turn.” This unpredictable handling, particularly in the race`s mixed conditions, led to multiple excursions off the track and hampered any attempt to close the gap to the leaders or even challenge Hulkenberg for third.
Beyond the inherent difficulties with the machinery, Hamilton pointed a finger at the strategic calls made during the race. When rain introduced chaos around lap 11, an early pit stop saw him tumble from fourth down to eighth. This loss of track position forced him into traffic, spending valuable laps stuck behind slower cars like the Haas of Esteban Ocon and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly. Progress was hard-fought, with overtakes on Gasly and Lance Stroll taking time.
The hope of an undercut seemed to fuel the decision for a second stop, bringing Hamilton in for slick tyres perhaps prematurely. Emerging from the pits, he immediately struggled for grip on the damp tarmac, losing critical seconds on the initial corners. This allowed Nico Hulkenberg, who pitted one lap later on intermediate tyres before switching, to consolidate his position and ultimately deny Hamilton the podium.
“We lost time and a lot of places through strategy,” Hamilton stated, expressing confusion about how he ended up P8 after being P4. The attempt at an undercut on slick tyres in tricky conditions proved particularly costly. “It was so tricky,” he admitted. “A big snap and I went wide… it lost me a ton of time.” He summarised the day starkly: “Lots of mistakes. It was not a good day.”
Interestingly, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur later revealed that some strategic decisions during the chaotic phase were made under duress, citing a GPS system failure that left the team partially `blind` to Hamilton`s exact track position. While perhaps explaining the confusion, it did little to alleviate the frustration on Hamilton`s part regarding the outcome.
Despite the disappointing result and the end of his impressive Silverstone streak, Hamilton did manage to find a sliver of positive takeaway. His pace in dry practice and qualifying suggested potential, and the difficult race experience provided valuable data. “I feel like I know how to explain to the team what I don`t want built in next year`s car,” he noted, suggesting the challenges of the current car are providing clear direction for future development. However, the immediate reality is stark: “What we have right now makes it so difficult to drive, particularly in these conditions.”
For Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, the British Grand Prix was a stark reminder that performance isn`t solely about raw pace. The complex interplay of car handling, driver confidence, strategic acumen, and even technical glitches conspired to turn a home race filled with potential into a frustrating exercise in damage limitation, leaving the record books slightly rewritten.
