Lewis Hamilton botches Silverstone pit stop in F1 title-deciding rookie error

Nineteen years ago today, on 8 July, Lewis Hamilton's hopes of winning his first home grand prix unravelled in the Silverstone pit lane, a moment of youthful impatience that would carry consequences all the way to the final round of the 2007 season.

Hamilton arrived at the British Grand Prix as the championship leader and the hottest rookie the sport had ever seen.

Nine podiums from nine starts, including victories in Canada and the United States, had the Silverstone crowd daring to dream. He duly delivered pole position with a 1:19.997 lap, and the stage was set.

Hamilton led from Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari through the early laps. But when he peeled into the pits on lap 16 for his first scheduled stop, nerves got the better of him.

As the McLaren crew completed refuelling, the lollipop board was turned, and Hamilton reacted instantly, releasing the clutch before the fuel hose had been fully disconnected.

The car lurched forward with the rig still attached. He stopped almost immediately, the crew freed the hose, and he rejoined, but the damage was done.

"First mistake in a grand prix for Lewis Hamilton. It's come at a critical moment," James Allen said on commentary at the time.

"I think Räikkönen probably had enough speed anyway to take the lead off him, but that just shows how much pressure Hamilton is feeling. It's the first time he's put a foot wrong in a grand prix."

Hamilton dropped to fifth, and crucially, when Räikkönen completed his own stop a few laps later, the Finn emerged ahead.

Räikkönen controlled the race from there, winning by 2.4 seconds from Fernando Alonso, with Hamilton a distant third, some 39 seconds adrift. It was still a podium, and Hamilton left Silverstone leading the championship on 70 points, 12 clear of Alonso and 18 ahead of Räikkönen, but the at least two points surrendered would prove significant.

When the season reached its finale in Brazil, Hamilton's lead had been whittled down. A gearbox glitch at Interlagos dropped him through the field, and he could only recover to seventh. Räikkönen won the race and, with it, the title by a single point: 110 to 109.

That Silverstone pit stop was not the sole reason Hamilton lost the 2007 championship, but in a season decided by one point, every error counts.