Lewis Hamilton Takes Honors, but Rain the Big Winner at British Grand Prix

It was the best of days and the worst of days for the British drivers in their home Grand Prix. 

For David Coulthard the dream ended very early indeed, as he was rudely interrupted in the opening lap.  He didn't even have a chance to get decently wet.

At this point I would like to clear up a certain point, too.  It has been widely reported that Coulthard was put out of contention by Sebastien Vettel.  While it is true that Vettel did experience a momentary loss of traction, it was certainly not his fault that the accident occurred.

With visibility reduced to the width of a flea's rectum, Coulthard was pressing in close behind Vettel.  As they went around the turn shortly after Vettel's traction problem, Coulthard tried to slip through the inside as Vettel was already shifting in.

In reality, the little wobble from Vettel had given Coulthard a moment's hesitation in going for the gap, and it was that tiny fraction of time while his brain was engaged more than his accelerator that ultimately led to the disaster.

To blame Vettel for this is unfair.  Then again, fairness and the British media are not exactly arm-in-arm cullies, are they?

If the FIA had a special entertainment prize, it would certainly have to go to Felipe Massa for his uncanny impersonation of a carousel.  He spun out more than anybody, and probably has a newfound appreciation for gravity.

Ferrari's woes were almost certainly due to poor tyre choice, and they will have to take a bit of time to look into the performance of their cars in wet conditions.  They also need to work on strategy, as they have little excuse for such a poor showing.

Meanwhile, it was some good strategy from the Honda team that saw Rubens Barrichello finally take the podium for his team.  A mid-race gamble to pit-stop both Barrichello and teammate Jensen Button paid off, although even with extreme wet weather tyres Button still managed to aquaplane himself out of the race.

To be fair, the conditions were a little more suited to kayak racing.  Of the 20 starters, only 13 managed to finish the race, and almost every driver had some sort of weather-related incident.  There were more spins than an average session of roulette play.

Bernie Ecclestone will no doubt be delighted at the thought of his "vindication" as all the fans tromp their way through the swamp to shelter after the race.

So much for the lowlights.  What about the highlights?

Well for starters, Lewis Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix!  For the home crowd, and for Hamilton himself, it was an ideal result more than compensating for a little moisture.

A small incident between Hamilton and teammate Heikki Kovalainen on the first lap could have spelled a premature finish for both drivers, but these guys are true artisans of their craft and managed to keep their cool and stay on track.

Obviously not impressed by Kovalainen's lack of pace (which a more tolerant view might regard as merely appropriate caution), Hamilton took command after five laps and never looked back.

A combination of good driving from Hamilton and a perfect pit strategy helped to clinch the victory that Hamilton declared was his best ever (not without good reason!).  Unlike the Ferrari team, McLaren actually realized that the road was a bit wet and put a decent set of tyres on their cars.

Make no mistake, the conditions today were very difficult and every driver who managed to finish (or even had the courage to climb into his car) deserves praise and admiration.

But also make no mistake, nobody deserves it more than Lewis Hamilton.   If you're quick, you may just be able to catch a glimpse of him swimming home.