Lewis Hamilton Aims to Extend Unique British GP Podium Streak at Silverstone with Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton, Silverstone, and the British Grand Prix are synonymous. No other driver has achieved greater success at their home race or at a single Formula 1 circuit, and few in the sport`s history have received such sustained admiration from a crowd.

The legendary home of British motorsport welcomes F1 once more this weekend, marking the midpoint of the 2025 season – Hamilton`s first driving for Ferrari.

While the two most recent races were won by British drivers – George Russell of Mercedes in Canada and Lando Norris of McLaren in Austria – Ferrari, one of the `big four` teams, is still searching for their first Grand Prix victory after 11 rounds. Hamilton is also yet to secure a Sunday podium finish since joining the Italian squad.

However, a year after claiming an emotional, record-breaking ninth victory at Silverstone, what are the chances of his home circuit witnessing another significant achievement this weekend?

Hamilton Identifies Area for Improvement After Ferrari`s Progress in Austria

Ferrari arrives at Hamilton`s home race with boosted confidence following their performance in Austria, where their SF-25 car featured an upgraded floor.

While a single update is unlikely to completely transform a team`s results at this stage of F1`s current rules cycle, the aerodynamic changes Ferrari introduced last week appeared to positively influence performance, a view shared by both Hamilton and his teammate Charles Leclerc.

In Austria, where Mercedes struggled with the heat and Red Bull`s Max Verstappen faced setbacks beyond his control, Ferrari consistently performed as the second-fastest team behind championship leaders McLaren, finishing the race in third and fourth places.

Charles Leclerc once again led the way for the Scuderia, qualifying on the front row and finishing third – his third podium appearance in the last four races, and fourth overall in 2025. Hamilton`s wait for a return to the podium extends to a career-long 13 races, but he noted personal progress with the Ferrari car en route to his fourth-place finish in Austria.

He qualified only 0.090 seconds behind his teammate, securing his first second-row starting position for a Grand Prix this year. His fourth-place race finish also matched his best result of the season, achieved previously at Imola in May.

Interestingly, although recent attention has focused on Hamilton`s persistent qualifying challenges over the past year and a half (first with Mercedes, now with Ferrari), the 40-year-old driver commented after Austria that he most needed to work on his *race* pace, having finished nine seconds adrift of Leclerc at the end of the 70-lap event.

Hamilton commented on his form after the race:

“I`ll continue working on it,” he said. “I feel like I made progress this weekend. I was less than a tenth behind Charles in qualifying, and we identified a brake issue that cost me a tenth, which is positive. I just need to find more pace for the race, but things are definitely improving.”

Can Hamilton Extend His Unique Silverstone Podium Streak?

So, what are Ferrari`s prospects of genuinely contending for a podium finish again at the high-speed, flowing corners of Silverstone?

McLaren`s strong competitiveness on most tracks is well-established, and they are again likely to be among the favorites. Ferrari can also anticipate facing tougher competition from their other two main rivals compared to the Austrian Grand Prix.

Mercedes, who achieved pole position with Russell and victory with Hamilton at Silverstone last year, should benefit from cooler weather forecast for the weekend following the UK`s heatwave. Red Bull, meanwhile, has shown their best form this season on circuits featuring fast turns.

Despite these factors, Ferrari remains hopeful that the performance improvements seen in Austria provide a solid base to build upon, with further upgrades expected for the car before F1`s summer break next month.

Then, there is the undeniable `Hamilton factor` to consider.

If there was any lingering doubt that the seven-time champion consistently finds something extra special for his annual appearance at Silverstone – even during more challenging seasons – his performance in 2024 certainly dispelled it.

Hamilton arrived at the British GP last July having not won a race in 56 attempts since December 2021 and securing only one podium finish in the preceding 14 races. Yet, he delivered a masterful drive on a mixed wet-dry Sunday to claim a victory that ranked among the very best of his career.

This win was not only a record-extending ninth at the British GP – making him the first driver in history to win the same race nine times – but also held particular emotional weight.

Speaking afterward, Hamilton admitted it was an emotional moment:

“There were definitely moments,” he said, “where I thought, `This might be it, this might never happen again.` So feeling this coming across the line… honestly, I`ve never cried after a win before. It just came out. It`s a truly, truly great feeling. I`m very, very grateful for it.”

The victory also emphatically extended his impressive run of podium finishes at Silverstone, a streak that began in 2014.

Hamilton`s British GP Results: Last 11 Years

This is a unique feat at any Grand Prix: Hamilton has finished on the podium in the last 11 British GPs held at Silverstone, and 12 consecutive races at the venue overall (including the 70th Anniversary GP during the Covid-affected 2020 season). His remarkable home record is further highlighted by the fact that only 35 drivers in F1 history have won more total races *anywhere* combined than Hamilton has won *at Silverstone*.

Karun Chandhok commented:

“We are coming to Silverstone, which is a Lewis Hamilton track. Wouldn`t the crowd go absolutely wild if he won there?”

British GP Schedule

Thursday July 3
2pm: Drivers` Press Conference
6pm: The F1 Show Special

Friday July 4
8.45am: F3 Practice
9.55am: F2 Practice
12pm: British GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.35pm: British GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 Show

Saturday July 5
9.10am: F3 Sprint
11.15pm: British GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING
4.55pm: F4 Race 1
5.40pm: Ted`s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 6
8.15am: F4 Race 2
9.25am: F3 Feature Race
11am: F2 Feature Race
1.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: British GP build-up
3pm: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted`s Notebook