Hamilton Ferrari move will add 'another dimension' after 'emotional' home win

Lewis Hamilton's British Grand Prix victory was hailed as "emotional" not just for the seven-time F1 champion but also for the 140,000 fans crammed inside Silverstone who witnessed his remarkable success.

Hamilton rewrote his own script by ending a two-and-a-half-year winless drought by delivering a performance that turned back the clock to when he was the dominant force in F1.

The outpouring of emotion from Hamilton was matched by the celebrations from all in the grandstands, whether or not they were fans of the 39-year-old Briton.

As a sign-off to Hamilton's years with Mercedes, to score a win that set a new F1 record for most victories by a driver at one venue - nine - was the icing on the cake.

David Richards, chairman of Motorsport UK, the governing body for four-wheeled motorsport in the UK, was on hand to witness Hamilton score the 104th victory of his F1 career as he mastered the changeable conditions.

Speaking to RacingNews365, Richards said: "It certainly wasn't the summer we were hoping for but it made for a very exciting race all around.

"When you start with three Brits at the front, one hopes you're going to get one of them as a winner, and Lewis turned up trumps as he often does."

"It was very emotional for Lewis. You could see at the finish just what it meant to him, and his father [Anthony] as well.

"And the crowds, you just had to listen to every move he made, and as he came round [at the end of every lap]. And the roar at the finish, it wasn't just emotional for Lewis, it was emotional for about 140,000 people who were watching."

Hamilton will sign off his longstanding association with Mercedes at the end of this year before a switch to Ferrari.

Richards feels that will only further enhance F1's burgeoning profile, adding: "It'll give another dimension to it. Lewis will have his fans, even driving a Ferrari, I'm sure."

Richards has no doubt that what unfolded at Silverstone over the weekend is another feather in the cap for UK motorsport, with an all-British top three in qualifying for the first time since 1968 preceding Hamilton's victory.

Next season, Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris will be joined on the grid by Oliver Bearman, who has signed for Haas.

"We've got a very solid future for motorsport in the UK but it starts at the grassroots," said Richards. "It starts by giving the right opportunities to kids in karting, getting them through the Formula Ford Championship, which is very successful now in the UK.

"We've got to applaud those championships and support them. We've got a great young group of drivers coming through now, and a lot of big, big wins for the future, I'm sure of that."