After 15 laps, Hamilton moved into another gear, and Bottas had no response. Hamilton turned in a series of fastest laps and the lead came down – 2.3secs, 1.9secs, 1.6secs, 1.3secs, 0.8secs. And then Hamilton was through and away.
If I say that the difference between the two drivers was all about tyre temperature, it would be true – but sound unromantic. In fact, the prosaic impression that gives belies a fundamental truth about why Hamilton is on a level that Bottas – and pretty much everyone else – cannot reach.
Yes, Hamilton won because he was able to get his tyres to a more effective operating temperature. But he did that through adaptability and skill, adjusting his driving, experimenting, using his ability and feel to tease out what the car needs to perform at its best.
It’s the same reason he won the soaking wet 2008 British Grand Prix by more than a minute, or was on pole in the wet in Austria this year by 1.2secs. Pure, raw talent.
“Towards the end, I was thinking about what I will and won’t say, in terms of what is appropriate to say,” Hamilton said.
“It it is no secret that today was about tyre temperatures, I felt through the race that I was learning lap on lap more about the circuit. I was trying lots of different lines and discovering new lines that worked well.
“The wind direction was very tricky, lots of head winds and cross winds and tail winds. There are some you can use to your favour and others get in the way. The key is minimising the loss through the tail winds.
“Set-up was something I really focused on, less about qualifying and more about race set-up, and that enabled me to go one better than before.
“I felt I was getting faster through the race but I had to keep up the pace for these tyres and that was really the key.”