2016 BRITISH GRAND PRIX EDITION
L
ewis Hamilton turned Silverstone into
his own personal mosh pit, riding a
wave of energy to the chequered flag
before celebrating his fourth British Grand
Prix victory with some impromptu crowdsurfing.
“That wasn’t planned,” said the
Mercedes driver as images of him falling
back into the sea of people, smiling
serenely with his body supported by raised
arms, travelled around the world.
“I could see the crowd there and I just
wanted to connect with them in some way.
I was hoping that I would crowd surf further
in and then I would have to say ‘take
me back’ but I got right to the edge and
I stayed there for like a second and then
they pushed me back.”
The rapt response to the home hero’s
third win in a row at Silverstone – the
first hat-trick at the circuit by any driver –
contrasted to the boos that greeted him on
the podium in Austria a week before.
Then, after he and German teammate
Nico Rosberg collided on the last lap and
Hamilton went on to win, the joy had been
tempered.
After a race that had started behind the
safety car following an earlier downpour
and ended under bright skies, it was an
unbridled love-in between the triple world
champion and his adoring army of fans.
There were some boos, but aimed at
Rosberg as he stepped on to the podium
– something Hamilton did not condone but
excused as another manifestation of just
how passionate the supporters were.
GPI