Lewis Hamilton led from the front to win his home Grand Prix for the third successive year. The victory means Hamilton cuts Nico Rosberg's championship lead to four points, with the German handed a 10 second penalty.

The Briton took the chequered flag in front of a delighted Silverstone crowd after he led from pole position to seal his fourth win of the season and the 47th of his career, while also equalling Nigel Mansell's British record of four F1 wins.

The win is Hamilton's second in a row after he claimed the Austrian Grand Prix last Sunday. It's also his fourth in the last five races as the championship approaches its halfway point.

After the race, he thanked the British fans who packed out the venue: "I'm so grateful for you all coming out today," Hamilton said. "We have the best fans here...thanks so much!"

"This race is never plain sailing. The ups and downs make the British Grand Prix the best race in the world"

Red Bull's Dutch teenager Max Verstappen came in third behind Rosberg but the German was handed a 10-second penalty after the race for an illegal radio exchange with his Mercedes team.

Stewards decided that in telling Rosberg how to solve a gearbox problem, they breached a new rule stating that driver's must 'drive the car alone and unaided".

The penalty sees Rosberg, who was booed by British fans on the podium, drops to third behind Verstappen with his championship lead cut to a single point, with Hamilton on 167.

A heavy shower shortly before the start caused a safety car start and when the safety car went in on lap five a number of teams, including Ferrari, went straight into the pits for the intermediate tyres.

Several cars slid off at a slippery Turn One, and on lap 28, Hamilton was also a victim closely followed by Verstappen for a second time but both avoided the gravel and recovered quickly to return to the track.

Hamilton will be looking to seize control of the driver's championship in the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 24.

(DW)