British GP: Lewis Hamilton just beats Max Verstappen despite late Mercedes punctures

An incredible finish as Hamilton crosses the line with a puncture while Bottas drops out of the points entirely; Hamilton 30 points clear in standings; Verstappen nearly beat Hamilton; Leclerc third

Mercedes were in a league of their own before the last three laps of F1's Silverstone homecoming but Valtteri Bottas' tyre blow-up was followed by race leader Hamilton's on the final lap and, in extraordinary scenes, the home favourite only just managed to drive his car across the finishing line.

Hamilton lost so much time that Red Bull, distant third for the majority of the race, were actually ruing an opportunity missed after pitting Verstappen late on to get the fastest lap.

If they hadn't have done so, Verstappen - who finished only five seconds behind Hamilton at the chequered flag and had tyre concerns himself - would likely have had the most surprising of wins.

In another boost to Hamilton, Bottas' puncture and forced pit-stop dropped him out of the top-10 entirely - meaning the Englishman now has a potentially crucial 30-point lead in the F1 2020 championship.