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Lewis Hamilton wins British GP, slashes Vettel's lead to 1 point

SILVERSTONE, England - Lewis Hamilton won his home British Grand Prix for the fourth year in a row on Sunday, while a penultimate-lap puncture slashed Sebastian Vettel's championship lead to a single point. The Briton's drive from pole to flag on an overcast afternoon was lonely, uneventful and dominant - in complete contrast to his Ferrari rival's afternoon - with Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas finishing 14 seconds behind to secure the one-two. "The support has been incredible this weekend. I am so proud I could do this for you all," said Hamilton, who threw himself into the fans for some crowd surfing after the podium celebrations. "The team were faultless this weekend, Valtteri did an incredible job as well, so it's the perfect weekend for us." Far behind in his wake, as Hamilton cruised to a 57th career win and soaked up the applause from an army of flag-waving fans, came sudden drama. Vettel, who had battled on worn tires but looked like securing the final podium position until the blowout, finished seventh after an emergency pit stop with a shower of sparks from the wheel rim. "There was no sign of that happening," said Vettel over the team radio. "There were vibrations but I had it for 20 laps and it didn't get massively worse. The tires didn't look great but they never look great." The German's Finnish teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who had been second before also being hit with a late puncture that sent Bottas and Vettel ahead of him, took third. At the halfway stage of the 20-race season, Vettel has 177 points to Hamilton's 176 with Bottas on 154. Hungary, a circuit where the Briton has won five times before, is next up. Hamilton became only the third driver, after his late compatriot Jim Clark and Frenchman Alain Prost, to win the British Grand Prix five times and the first to take four successive victories at Silverstone. Clark won four in a row in the 1960s, but one was at Aintree and another at Brands Hatch. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished fourth, ending a run of retirements, with Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo fifth after fighting through the field. Germany's Nico Hulkenberg was sixth for Renault and Force India pairing Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez were eighth and ninth with Brazilian Felipe Massa securing the final point for Williams. Jolyon Palmer's miserable run continued, with Britain's only other driver on the grid failing to make the start after his Renault broke down on the formation lap with a brake failure.

Mercedes G63 AMG 6x6 is sold out

Sometimes automakers go absolutely bonkers and bequeath a product on the world that makes no logical sense – except to make people grin from ear to ear. The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6X6 is just such a vehicle with six wheels, three axles, five differentials and a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 making 536 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque. The result is a truck that looks more appropriate to handle the dystopian future rather than any paved road on Earth, especially the $1.35 million armored version. Unfortunately, if you have a hankering to own a brand-new example, it's too late because Mercedes is ending production of the behemoth. Since introducing the 6X6 in 2013, Mercedes actually sold more than it originally anticipated by moving more than 100 of them, according to GT Spirit, but the German automaker has ended production to keep the model special. Still, those production numbers aren't too shabby considering the truck's ultra-niche nature and base price of 379,000 euros ($430,000 at current exchange rates). While wealthy clients who desire luxury with their off-roading can no longer order the 6X6, Mercedes isn't entirely abandoning these customers yet. The company is already previewing the G500 4x42 that takes the six-wheeler's pumped up suspension and wheels but reinterprets the look on the more conventional, two-axle body style. Buyers might have to accept a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8, though. A debut for the new model is expected for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in early March. Related Video:

Mercedes releases first shot of AMG GT3

A week ago we got a rendering of the upcoming race-only Mercedes-AMG GT3, to be shown to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show. Now, Mercedes has let loose a photo of the front of the car and it looks very serious, a trait undoubtedly helped by its link to the past: that grille motif goes straight back to the W154 Silver Arrows pre-war racer driven to the 1938 European Championship by Rudolf Caracciola. Those angry, angled and sunken headlights don't hurt, either. It will be ready in time for the 2016 GT3 season and come loaded with expectations, since the SLS AMG GT3 it replaces has been a victory machine around the world. Unlike that SLS, though, this car will spawn a hardcore road-going version - not to be called GT3 - with less weight and more power, armed to do battle with the coupe that comes first to mind when that alphanumeric is mentioned. With the way the AMG GT S already gobbles up circuits, we're prepared to be impressed by what comes next. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mercedes-AMG GT3: teasers News Source: Mercedes-AMG Motorsports Geneva Motor Show Mercedes-Benz Coupe Racing Vehicles mercedes-amg 2015 Geneva Motor Show gt3 fia gt3 mercedes-amg gt3