Lewis Hamilton is box office like Silverstone’s celebrities – don’t dare rule him out

One mistake cost Lewis Hamilton a shot at pole position for the British Grand Prix but, even though he’s yet to score a podium with Ferrari, only a fool would count him out at Silverstone

As usual, the Silverstone paddock was jammed with celebrities of varying grades – A-listers to Z-listers. And in terms of bringing stardust to the motorhomes, Keanu Reeves was probably in pole position.

Reeves is fronting a documentary charting Cadillac’s 2026 entry into Formula 1 but is best known to many for having the lead role in the action movie Speed. Which is what Lewis Hamilton has generally been short of since joining Ferrari for the 2025 season. But while Reeves is Hollywood box office, Hamilton remains the number one draw at the home of British motor racing.

Even in Ferrari red, Hamilton is the darling of the crowd. Even with Lando Norris challenging for the title, Hamilton is the spectators’ favourite. Even with George Russell leading the challenge of the locally-based Mercedes team, Hamilton is the poster boy of this race. Albeit, at 40 years of age, a relatively old poster boy.

It has been a long-running love affair, for sure, starting with a podium place in his first British Grand Prix in 2007, finishing third in a rain-hit race. Hamilton has stood on the Silverstone podium 15 times, a record for the most top-three finishes at a single circuit.

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Also a record is his tally of nine British GP victories – no driver has won as many races at a single circuit or in a particular Grand Prix in F1 history. In his 18 starts at Silverstone for the British GP – he was third in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix here in 2020 – Hamilton has finished outside the top 10 only once.

That special race in 2020 was staged a week after the British GP, a race that Hamilton won by driving the final lap and a half on three wheels. It was the type of drama Hamilton has been serving up at Silverstone for almost two decades – that’s why the pit straight bears his name.

He is a part of Silverstone’s history, his image dominating the electronic billboards and hoardings. And back in his spiritual home over these past couple of days, there has been a spring in Hamilton’s step and a glint in his eye. That was until the start of qualifying when there was more drama.

In Q1, the impressive Ferrari pace in practice looked to have gone and Hamilton, sensing he was on the cusp of elimination, asked to squeeze in an extra lap. Sorry Lewis, you haven’t got enough fuel, came the reply. Don’t they know you have always got a few more miles when it says zero?

As he can, Hamilton sounded irritated on the team radio and, for a short while, it looked as though he might not make it through to the second session. But he did. Just. And he then responded in the way you would expect a seven-time champion to respond, setting the fastest time in Q2, prompting early delirium amongst his legion of fans.

Maybe only a slight mistake late on his last lap in Q3 cost him a place on one of the front two rows, meaning he will start the race fifth, just ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari will be competitive in the race, that is for sure.

Considering he has been without a win in almost a year and has yet to stand on the podium in his Ferrari gear, a victory seems a long shot. But when he arrived at Silverstone 12 months ago, Hamilton had not won for two and a half years. He had gone 55 races without a victory.

And what happened? After a titanic early tussle with Norris and Russell, Hamilton kept Max Verstappen at bay for a sensational triumph. It rained that day and there is a chance of rain today. He couldn’t, could he? Don’t bet against it.