Before an adoring home nation crowd, Great Britain’s Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix on Sunday, with German Nick Heidfeld placing second and Brazil’s Rubens Barrichello a surprising third. Held in somewhat typical dreary English weather, it was Barrichello’s first visit to the podium since 2005. To say he — as well as the entire Honda Formula 1 team he drives for — was thrilled with the result is a great understatement. Meanwhile, Ferrari experienced a dreadful day in the United Kingdom, Kimi Raikkonen placing a somewhat lowly fourth, while Felipe Massa — who spun on five separate occasions during the 60-lap race — finished out of the points, thus allowing Hamilton to stake his claim as one of three drivers now atop the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship point standings. With the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim a fortnight away, Raikkonen, Hamilton and Felipe Massa are now all tied with 48 points. Amazing…

With the weather gods trying to make up their minds on just what to do with the hamlet of Towcester, all the multi-million dollar cars present on the starting grid were shod with intermediate tires and the Grand Prix began on a wet track with McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen grabbing the holeshot and his teammate Lewis Hamilton immediately behind. Giving chase was Ferrari’s Massa, but four laps into the GP, the Brazilian had spun twice, and it was quite apparent that he was in for a might of a struggle all afternoon. Bam! Then, on lap number five, Hamilton motored by his Finnish teammate, never again to be headed. 12 laps in, Hamilton held sway over Raikkonen and Kovalainen (who had spin), Fernando Alonso, Heidfeld, Nelson Piquet and Toyota driver Jarno Trulli.

As the rain lashed race continued, Raikkonen began to eat up asphalt closing on Hamilton before the two drivers both pitted on lap 20. The English skies still saturated and looking to piss down rain, Hamilton’s McLaren pit crew placed a new set of intermediate tires on his FO108V-powered MP4-23. Concurrently, Scuderia Ferrari rolled the dice, kept Raikkonen’s well-worn tires on his F2008 and sent the Finn back out on the drying track. Ferrari’s gamble came up snake eyes, however, the rain returning and Raikkonen sloshing, slipping and sliding around the 3.194-mile Silverstone circuit. For the record, Massa, whose car was also equipped with worn rubber, came up bust.

Honda, too, also bet the farm (just had to use an American colloquialism here) on Mother Nature and Bridgestone, Barrichello’s RA808E-powered RA108 fitted with thirsty wet tires. For Honda — unlike Ferrari — the pull of the slot machine coming up jackpot, the Brazilian quickly coming to terms with the soggy circuit.

Meanwhile, in the rarified air of “P1”, Lewis Hamilton and his Silver Arrow of a McLaren kept on chugging, leading by upwards of 40 seconds despite the crooked rain. Thus when the checkered flagman reached for the piece of cloth with the black and white patches and began waving it like a Wildman, it was Hamilton greeting him first. Second to the finish stripe was Heidfeld and third was Barrichello

Up front, Hamilton carried on driving perfectly regardless of the intensity of the rain. After the final round of stops, his lead was already of more than 45 seconds, and with Barrichello needing a third stop to switch back to inters when the sun came back out around lap 50. The Brit eventually crossed the finish line after 60 laps a full 1:08.5sec ahead of Heidfeld, with Barrichello another 13.6sec further back. Kovalainen, Alonso, Trulli and Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) all picked up the remaining points left on the table.

"It is definitely and by far the best victory I've ever had," smiled Hamilton in the post-race press conference. "It was one of the toughest races I have ever done. I was thinking out there if I win it it will be the best race I have ever done, not just because of the home crowd.

"On the last laps I could see the crowd starting standing up, and I was praying, praying 'just finish'. You can imagine the emotions going on inside and I wanted to get it around. I want to dedicate this one to my family, as you know I have had some trouble in the last few weeks and it has been tough, but the family is there for you, and before the race my brother said 'don't worry about it'. So thanks to them."

Chimed in 36 years-young Barrichello: "I never lost the belief I have in me with the speed and everything. It was obviously a lucky day and it seemed to happen to me. I love the wet weather conditions but it was a perfect race. I was passing people from inside to outside — it was just magic. I have this great feeling, it is like I am young. I am smiling to the problems and I am working more. I love the sport, I love the speed and I cannot live without it."

Eric Johnson