The British Grand Prix is Lewis Hamilton’s best weekend on the Formula 1 calendar.
The current Ferrari driver has had more success at Silverstone than at any other track, winning his home race nine times.
That also stands as a Formula 1 record: no other driver has won more races at the same Grand Prix.
Of these nine victories, there have been some superlative performances from one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, the three best of which we will delve into now.
3. 2024 British Grand Prix – A first Mercedes win since 2021
Heading into the 2024 British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton hadn’t won a Formula 1 race for Mercedes since the backend of the 2021 season, a total of nearly 1000 days.
Few, if any, therefore gave him a chance of victory, especially as he had only finished on the podium once across the first 11 races.
But you can never count Hamilton out.
On Saturday, the seven-time World Champion qualified just behind teammate George Russell to give him a sniff of victory.
In the race, the Briton excelled in mixed conditions, overtaking Russell as the weather turned and the rain started falling.
After being overtaken on track by the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Hamilton and his Mercedes pit crew made the correct tyre choices at the right times to reclaim the lead of the race.
With the Red Bull of Max Verstappen closing in the final stages, Hamilton had just enough performance and pace left to keep his great rival behind and take the chequered flag in first place.
What followed were emotional scenes. In his final race at his home Grand Prix for the team he had won six World Titles with, the Briton soaked up the adulation of the home crowd and his garage, and deservedly so at that.
2. 2020 British Grand Prix – Holding off Max Verstappen with a puncture
After a difficult start in Austria, in which Hamilton collided with Alex Albon and finished off the podium in the season’s opener, the Briton dominated the rest of the campaign to claim his most recent World Title.
Winning 11 of the 17 races held that year, one particular victory stands out: the 2020 British Grand Prix.
Despite controlling the race expertly, the 40-year-old was warned to preserve his tyres heading into the final few laps after his teammate Valtteri Bottas suffered a late race puncture.
However, eight corners into the final lap, the same fate afflicted Hamilton as the Briton’s front-left tyre delaminated.
While Verstappen was 30 seconds behind him on the road after a precautionary pit stop, the Dutchman was closing fast.
To keep his lead and cross the finish line first, Hamilton therefore had to push his car to its limit, simultaneously keeping it on the road with just three wheels.
Driving at top speed down the Hangar Straight and then navigating the Nouvelle Chicane, it was an excellent performance from a driver at the top of his game.
1. 2008 British Grand Prix – A masterclass in the wet
Lewis Hamilton’s performance at the 2008 British Grand Prix is arguably one of the greatest drives Formula 1 has ever seen, let alone just his best at his home race.
After qualifying in fourth position, Hamilton put on a masterclass as the rain poured to take victory by more than a minute over second-place Nick Heidfeld, his first at Silverstone.
It was a performance made even more remarkable by the fact that it was just his second season in the sport.
Moreover, with the likes of two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso on the grid, along with Ferrari’s reigning World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen, and Felipe Massa, there was no shortage of talent competing against the Briton.
Yet as others struggled around him, Hamilton was flawless.
As well as winning by a minute, the Briton lapped everyone down from Raikkonen in fourth at least once, showing why there was so much hype around the young man.
He would go on to claim his first World Title in the same season, before another six followed after he made the move to Mercedes in 2013.