Lewis Hamilton. Silverstone. The British Grand Prix. It’s a love affair that’s lasted over two decades – and produced more success than any other driver-track combo in F1 history. Nine wins at his home race before the 2025 British Grand Prix, more than anyone has ever achieved at any single circuit, and the sort of adoration from the home crowd that borders on Beatlemania.
Now, well into the 2025 season, the seven-time World Champion returns to Northamptonshire wearing scarlet red – not of an English rose, but of a prancing horse. It’s Hamilton’s first British GP weekend as a Ferrari driver, and while the stats so far haven’t been headline-grabbing, history has shown he’s always a threat on home turf.
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The 2025 season is at its halfway point, and while fellow Brits George Russell (Mercedes) and Lando Norris (McLaren) have stood atop the podium recently in Canada and Austria, Hamilton is still chasing his first Grand Prix rostrum finish in red. Ferrari, too, remain the only one of the “Big Four” teams without a Sunday victory after 11 rounds. But if ever there was a place for a turning point…
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Signs of Life for the Prancing Horse
Silverstone couldn’t come at a better time for the Scuderia, who finally showed a glimmer of proper race pace in Austria. With a brand-new floor bolted onto the SF-25 – and a fair bit of crossed fingers in Maranello – Ferrari found a stride that’s eluded them for much of the season.
Though major upgrades rarely flip the competitive order overnight (especially in year four of the current aero regulations), the tweaks underneath the Ferrari brought results. On a weekend where Mercedes wilted in the heat and Max Verstappen in the Red Bull ran into misfortune, Ferrari emerged as McLaren’s closest challenger.
Charles Leclerc led the charge again, grabbing a front-row grid slot and turning it into his third podium in four races. Meanwhile, Hamilton quietly delivered his most encouraging race yet in red, finishing just behind his teammate in fourth – equalling his best finish of the season from Imola.
Hamilton’s Progress Report in Red
So far in 2025, Hamilton’s been inching forward, not leaping. His results have been solid if unspectacular, but Austria marked an important step. He was only 0.090s off Leclerc in qualifying – bagging his first second-row start of the year – and matched his best Sunday finish.
| Race | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Australian GP | 8th | 10th |
| China Sprint | 1st | 1st |
| Chinese GP | 5th | DSQ (6th) |
| Japanese GP | 8th | 7th |
| Bahrain GP | 9th | 5th |
| Saudi Arabian GP | 7th | 7th |
| Miami Sprint | 7th | 3rd |
| Miami GP | 12th | 8th |
| Emilia Romagna GP | 12th | 4th |
| Monaco GP | 7th | 5th |
| Spanish GP | 5th | 6th |
| Canadian GP | 5th | 6th |
| Austrian GP | 4th | 4th |
Still, a Hamilton podium has remained elusive for 13 Grands Prix – the longest drought of his storied career. Yet, in true Lewis Hamilton fashion, he’s finding silver linings. This time, it wasn’t qualifying holding him back, but rather the long-run pace, which he admitted still needs refining after finishing nine seconds off Leclerc over 70 laps.
Can History Repeat Itself at Home?
One year ago, Hamilton stood atop the Silverstone podium for a record-breaking ninth time, tears in his eyes and a Union Jack in hand. It was, by all accounts, a vintage moment in a career full of them.
Now, he returns with a fresh challenge, a new team, and that unmistakable roar of 150,000 fans behind him. Could another slice of history be waiting at the circuit that’s always felt like home?
We wouldn’t bet against it.
Hamilton and the Silverstone Streak: Can the King of Home Crowds Keep the Crown?
So, let’s get straight to the question: Can Lewis Hamilton keep his incredible Silverstone podium streak alive in his first British GP with Ferrari?
On the face of it, Ferrari will have their work cut out. McLaren are the current pacesetters across most tracks and head into Silverstone as clear favourites. But this isn’t a two-horse race – or even a two-prancing-horse race. Both Red Bull and Mercedes are expected to be stronger here than they were in Austria.
Red Bull, in particular, tends to thrive on high-speed circuits, and Silverstone, with its sweeping Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex, fast corners, and long straights, is tailor-made for aerodynamic superiority. Meanwhile, Mercedes, who won here last year with Hamilton and took pole with Russell, will be buoyed by a drop in temperatures and possibly even a splash of British rain – ideal for shaking things up.
Still, Ferrari arrives with momentum. Their upgraded floor in Austria gave them a real performance boost, and with more tweaks coming before the summer break, the Scuderia might have a few more aces up their sleeves. And then, of course, there’s the not-so-secret weapon in red: Sir Lewis himself.
Because when it comes to Silverstone, Hamilton has a habit of doing something extraordinary, no matter the car, the form, or the forecast.
Hamilton + Silverstone = Magic
Need convincing? Let’s rewind to the 2024 British Grand Prix.
Hamilton hadn’t won a race since late 2021. He’d only stepped onto the podium once in his previous 14 starts. It looked like the curtain was drawing on his winning ways. Then came that drive. In classic British summer conditions – damp, drying, and downright tricky – Hamilton delivered one of the most memorable wins of his career, storming to a record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix victory.
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That wasn’t just a personal best; it was an all-time F1 record. No driver has ever won the same Grand Prix nine times. The win ended a 56-race drought and brought Hamilton to tears at the finish line.
But that emotional triumph did more than rewrite the record books — it extended a run of Silverstone supremacy that’s frankly astonishing.
Hamilton at Silverstone: A Decade of Dominance
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 1st |
| 2015 | 1st |
| 2016 | 1st |
| 2017 | 1st |
| 2018 | 2nd |
| 2019 | 1st |
| 2020 | 1st |
| 2020 (70th Anniv GP) | 2nd |
| 2021 | 1st |
| 2022 | 3rd |
| 2023 | 3rd |
| 2024 | 1st |
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