Hamilton hails British GP win as 'the best I've ever driven'

"The best I've ever driven" is how Lewis Hamilton described his dominant victory at the British Grand Prix.

Published : Jul 17, 2017 00:07 IST

Lewis Hamilton believes he is driving better than ever following his fourth consecutive British Grand Prix victory.

Hamilton led from start to finish in a race that saw him close the gap on championship leader Sebastian Vettel from 20 points to one, with the two Ferraris both suffering late punctures on Sunday.

The result capped a wonderful weekend for Hamilton at Silverstone, where a stunning qualifying display also saw him earn pole by more than half a second from closest challenger Kimi Raikkonen.

"It was amazing. Oh my god. It's the greatest day," Hamilton told Sky Sports. "I had quite a big gap to close. Phenomenal job from the team, Valtteri [Bottas, who finished second] did an exceptional job this weekend.

"The last couple of races haven't really reflected the great work within the team and finally this weekend we're able to really exploit that and show it. I know everyone is really happy."

Talk during the build-up centred largely on Hamilton's decision not to attend an F1 event in London's Trafalgar Square, making him the only driver on the grid not to take part.

Some reports suggested Hamilton's decision had come in response to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff's attendance at title rival Vettel's 30th birthday party. 

But the three-time champion, who completed a fifth grand slam this weekend, insists he was merely tailoring his preparations to his own needs, not those of F1 as a whole.

"I know how to get myself ready. I wouldn't have the poles I have, I wouldn't have the wins I have [if I didn't]. I know what I need to do to get myself ready and this weekend has shown that," he added. 

"I'm really, really happy that after all the negativity coming into the weekend, to be able to perform the way I have. Today's race was under control and there wasn't a moment when I had a lack of focus.

"I feel like this is the best I've ever driven."

And Hamilton is bullish about his chances heading into the second half of the season, with Hungary the next stop in a fortnight's time.

"Bring it on," he commented. "I feel at my best, so if we can continue to deliver as we have this weekend, I feel I have an answer to the fight and will continue to be amongst it. That's our goal.

"I think there's been a lot of growth with [team boss] Toto [Wolff] and I - from that meeting we had at the end of last year. I feel we've grown together in a really positive year, and Valtteri on board has brought a lot of positivity to the team and dispelled a lot of negativity we had before.

"We are a winning team and we can't change any components of it."

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