Lewis Hamilton (P1, Fastest Lap, 26 pts): 8.5/10
Lewis Hamilton lost his lucky charm last time out in Austria, but it was right back in his pocket where he needed it for his home race this weekend. Even so, it was far from a vintage Lewis domination at Silverstone and on Friday he was clearly struggling to get the Mercedes to his liking, with Valtteri Bottas pipping him in both FP1 and FP2. A rare mistake in his first Q3 run in qualifying cost Lewis his best chance of pole, which went instead to Bottas by just six thousandths of a second. In the race, Hamilton got the better start of the two Silver Arrows but Bottas still successfully managed to hold him off in the opening laps. However, luck then stepped in in the form of a safety car scrambled at just the right time. It allowed Hamilton to make a 'free' pit stop that handed him a clear run to victory. A jittery Mercedes pit wall advocated a late 'safety' stop for new tyres, but Hamilton - bitten by similar strategies in the past - vetoed the team orders. He could have looked a total fool if the decision had backfired, but he proved his point by setting the fastest lap of the race on the final tour despite the worn rubber - which was just showing off, really!
