Jolyon Palmer spots simple way Lewis Hamilton ‘made the difference’ to George Russell at Silverstone

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Jolyon Palmer spotted a simple way Lewis Hamilton ‘made the difference’ to George Russell in the British Grand Prix that set up the Mercedes driver’s win at Silverstone.

The 39-year-old ended a near 1,000-day wait for another Grand Prix victory on Sunday. Not since the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP had Hamilton stood on the top step of a podium before the Mercedes driver won his record ninth British GP. It was just his second podium this year, too.

Russell had started the British GP from pole position after edging his Mercedes teammate in qualifying for a front-row lock-out. Only the Silver Arrows drivers dipped into the 1:25s in Q3 as conditions continued to improve. But a water system failure would force Russell to retire.

George Russell was ‘more cautious’ than Lewis Hamilton in the British GP

Mercedes ordered Russell to retire his car on Lap 34 of the British GP after already dropping to fourth place. The 26-year-old led the early stages but Hamilton grabbed it away on L18 as rain started to fall. He also lost places to Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in their pit stops.

Palmer believes it was ‘critical’ for Hamilton’s race that he overtook Russell as the conditions worsened. The seven-time champion would otherwise have been in his teammate’s inferior position when Mercedes elected to double-stack their drivers to change onto intermediates.

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Hamilton was also ‘making the difference’ compared to Russell in the mixed conditions with the Stevenage-born star more comfortable than his compatriot. Palmer feels Russell was too ‘cautious’ as rain started to influence the British GP, whereas Hamilton was happy to attack.

Palmer told the Formula 1 website: “Hamilton generally was driving closer to the limit in the rain and it was making the difference compared to Russell, who was slightly more cautious.

“Lewis was throwing his car around and had the confidence and skill level to scoop it up, as we’ve seen so many times in the past.

“For Hamilton, getting the position ahead of his teammate set up his win. Without that critical pass on Lap 18, it’s difficult to see how he’d have made the difference against Verstappen and Norris.”

George Russell must respond as Lewis Hamilton will feel a weight off his shoulders

Russell was in a slightly unfortunate position by leading the British GP when the rain started to soak Silverstone again. The King’s Lynn native gave Hamilton a marker of where the track was at its wettest and where they could keep pushing the most as the first to hit those parts.

It was only natural, then, that Russell was more cautious than Hamilton as he experimented with the grip levels. But, in the end, it worked in Mercedes’ favour as Hamilton took the lead of the British GP and benefitted come their pit stops to stay ahead of Norris and Verstappen.

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What will be important is how Russell responds to knowing Hamilton had his number in the British GP in those conditions. The 2024 Austrian Grand Prix winner has vastly led the head-to-head battles at Mercedes this year but Hamilton will feel like a weight is off his shoulders.