2008 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Silverstone, Sunday 6th July 2008
Lewis Hamilton MP4-23 02
Heikki Kovalainen MP4-23 05
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the
British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the first of the team’s
two home races. After an eventful race over 60 laps (308.355
kms) in changeable weather conditions, he lapped all but two
drivers and came home 68.5sec ahead of Nick Heidfeld (BMW
Sauber) in second place. Lewis’s team mate Heikki Kovalainen,
who had started from his first ever Formula 1 pole position,
ended up fifth. Both drivers were on two-stop strategies.
Lewis came in on laps 21 (8.0sec) and 38 (7.3sec); Heikki
pitted on laps 19 (7.9sec) and 34 (6.6sec). Halfway through
the championship, after nine out of 18 Grands Prix, Lewis
is back in the lead with 48 points; he is tied on points with
Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen.
Heikki is sixth overall with 24 points. In the Constructors’
Championship, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is third with 72 points;
Ferrari leads with 96 points. It was Lewis’s third win
of the season, the seventh in his 26 F1 races so far, the
55th of the McLaren Mercedes partnership and McLaren’s
159th grand prix victory.
LEWIS HAMILTON
"This was the toughest race, but also one of the best
ones I have ever driven. It was so extreme and slippery out
there, very similar to the Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji last
year. I had troubles with my visor and tried to clean it a
couple of times. I thank my team for a great job; they did
fantastic work and we always made the right decisions with
the tyres in the difficult conditions. When I came round the
last time, I saw the crowd standing up and I prayed: ‘Just
finish, just finish.’ It was a very emotional moment
to win my home grand prix and I want to dedicate this victory
to my family. As everybody knows I had some troubles over
the past few weeks and they have been always there for me
and supported me. To pull on another Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
rocket red victory T-shirt feels awesome."
HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
"Congratulations to Lewis on his superb home win. I had
a good start and, for a few laps, Lewis was really pushing
hard - which meant he eventually managed to overtake me on
lap five when I ran a little wide. It was an extremely difficult
race with lots of things happening. It was so easy to get
caught out today by aquaplaning and slippery conditions: I
spun twice but I was not the only one. At least I scored four
points and helped to increase our constructors’ points
total."
RON DENNIS
"To win your home grand prix is always special, and so
today is indeed a special day for Lewis. It's also a special
day for all at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. But above all it
was a magnificent grand prix, full of drama, and it was won
by a man who mastered the treacherous conditions faultlessly.
Lewis's was one of those drives that will live in the memory
for a long time - but it should be remembered that, fabulous
though Lewis's performance was, it was also the result of
brilliant teamwork by our engineers and mechanics. As for
Heikki, he qualified superbly yesterday and clearly showed
that he too is truly world-class. He shouldn’t feel
too disappointed today because he demonstrated once again
that his racing skills are beyond question. His time will
come."
NORBERT HAUG
"Lewis managed a superb and most impressive win and over
the 60 laps, he was on average more than one second per lap
faster then Nick Heidfeld in second place and he lapped all
drivers behind third place. We are back in the title fight
and that’s great! Unfortunately Heikki suffered from
understeering throughout the longest part of the race. It’s
a pity because he had a very good set-up in qualifying which
helped him to achieve his first Formula 1 career pole position.
Lewis is back in the lead with 48 points; he is tied on points
with Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen. We are now
focusing on our second home Grand Prix in Hockenheim in two
weeks’ time. Please come there to the Mercedes grandstand
and watch Lewis and Heikki there will be a first class programme
for all the visitors behind the grandstand. To all team mates
my sincere thanks for achieving this result today - let’s
try to do the same at Hockenheim when our next home Grand
Prix takes place."
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