Six years on: Hamilton's iconic three-wheel Silverstone victory over Verstappen

Six years on, Lewis Hamilton's 2020 British Grand Prix win remains one of Formula 1's most iconic images of resilience. On August 2, 2020, at Silverstone, he limped across the line with a shredded front-left tyre to seal his seventh home victory, a finish that blurred the line between dominance and disaster.

Why it matters:

This was Hamilton's 87th career win and a masterclass in damage limitation. The race exposed the razor-thin margin between a routine afternoon and disaster when pushing equipment to its limit, reinforcing why his ability to adapt separated him from the field. For a driver chasing a seventh world title, it added another legendary chapter to his Silverstone legacy.

The details:

• Hamilton led from pole until a Safety Car on lap 13, triggered by Daniil Kvyat's crash, prompted Mercedes to commit both cars to long stints on hard tyres.
• The strategy unravelled late. Valtteri Bottas suffered a front-left failure with three laps to go, dropping from second to P11, while Carlos Sainz also punctured on the final lap, tumbling from the top five to P13.
• Despite team warnings, Hamilton's front-left tyre exploded on the final lap. The carcass disintegrated, leaving him to complete the lap with sparks flying from the bare rim.
• Red Bull pitted Max Verstappen for fresh rubber after Bottas's failure, erasing Hamilton's 30-second cushion. The gap collapsed to just 5.856 seconds at the flag, with Verstappen setting the fastest lap. Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari.

The big picture:

The race began a fortnight of Silverstone action, with Verstappen winning the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix one week later. Yet Hamilton's three-wheeled defence remains the defining memory of that summer. It showcased the brutality of high-degradation strategies and the composure required to survive them. Even from the vantage point of 2026, it stands as one of the most improbable victories in modern F1 history.