Lewis Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time, ending his 945-day wait for a race victory and the F1 driver couldn't contain his emotions.
The 39-year-old couldn't have written this better himself as it's his last home race at Silverstone with Mercedes after an incredible 11 years together that has seen Hamilton win six World Championships with the team as he is set to join Ferrari next season.
This also marks Hamilton's first win since he won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix back on December 5, 2021, a season where he had a tense rivalry with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen who went on to win the championship that year.
In the years that followed Mercedes has struggled to find their previous form but the team appears to be making progress recently. Hamilton's victory is a back-to-back win for the team as their other driver George Russell won the last race at the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend.
As he crossed the finish line, Hamilton sounded emotional as fans in the stands roared in celebration and he could later be seen sharing a heartwarming hug with his father, Anthony Hamilton.
“I can’t stop crying. Since 2021, every day getting up trying to fight, to train, to put my mind to the task," Hamilton told Sky News in a post-race interview.
“This is my last race here at the British Grand Prix with this team so, I wanted to win this so much for them because I love them. I appreciate them so much. I’m forever grateful to everyone at Mercedes.”
He added: “There’s no greater feeling than to finish at the front here.
Taking to social media after the jubilant celebrations on the podium for his 104th career win and climbing the fence to soak up the atmosphere with fans, Hamilton wrote:
"YES 🍾🍾🍾 945 days since the last win and it’s finally come home. SILVERSTONE I LOVE YOU.
"There’s no crowd that deserves this more. This is love, this is family. Thank you all for the love and support. Massive shout to the team as well. Everyone in the garage and back at the factory have given long hard hours for this result. It’s not been easy but it’s brought us back to back wins for the team.
He concluded: "Most importantly we didn’t lose hope. We didn’t give up. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU KEEP GOING. STILL WE RISE."
This historic sporting moment garnered a lot of reaction on social media.
Guinness World Records confirmed that Hamilton's latest victory makes him the "solo record holder for the most wins at the same F1 Grand Prix with nine wins at the British GP," breaking the record previously set by Michael Schumacher.
George Russell - who unfortunately had to retire from the race - congratulated his Mercedes teammate.
McLaren driver, Lando Norris who came third in the race took to Instagram to share a snap of himself hugging Hamilton and in the caption congratulated him on his win.
Four-time Formula One World Champion, Sebastian Vettel posted a picture of Hamilton celebrating via Instagram Story where he wrote: "Goat [Great Of All Time] Congrats Lewis."
Formula One World Champion, Damon Hill declared: "What a great thing to see the return of the GOAT."
Broadcaster Piers Morgan also praised Hamilton's determination: "What a drive, what a driver, what a role model. Never gave up, never stopped believing."
The official UK X account described Hamilton's win as "a great end to the week" in the country following England getting through to the semi-finals at the Euros.
F1 presenter Christian Hewgill admitted he cried at Hamilton achieving the top podium - "I’m not for a second ashamed to admit it. Incredible."
With emotions running high in F1 today, this was reflected among fans on X, formerly Twitter with everything from memes to passionate congratulatory posts.
Currently, Hamilton sits in 8th place in the Drivers Championship standings, just one point behind his teammate Russell, while Verstappen is in first place, followed by Norris, and then Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in third.
Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton calls out the treatment of Black England footballers by the media , and Lewis Hamilton lets fans in on his skincare routine .
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