Top 5 controversies of the 2018 F1 season

'Interesting tactics' at Silverstone

F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain - Lewis wasn't a happy man at Silverstone

Hamilton extends a lot of respect for Kimi Raikkonen. The duo has really produced some amazing contest having been driving at the top echelons of Formula 1 for a while now.

In fact, on many an occasion has Hamilton openly lavished praise on Raikkonen's experience and ability to compete consistently despite the Finn being the oldest man on the grid.

Having said that, the camaraderie between Hamilton and Raikkonen, with Kimi offering no more than a smile or a near indication to one whenever the duo has been at a press conference or other media interactions together got tested- and perhaps to the limit- at the 2018 British Grand Prix.

At the start of the race at Silverstone, Hamilton, the pole-sitter, found to his utter dismay the commanding Ferrari of Vettel and his Mercedes' teammate Bottas going past his Mercedes within seconds at the start.

Surely, on the race day, it wasn't hard to note which was the faster car among Ferrari and Mercedes.

But then, in the struggle for track position, which quickly became a three-way fight inside the opening lap itself saw Hamilton, then on third, coming under the attack from the fourth-placed Raikkonen as Vettel began chipping away.

In the run down to Village, on Lap 1, Raikkonen, trying his best to pass Hamilton would make contact with the Mercedes, a move that spun Hamilton around the track and eventually saw the Briton dropping down to the back of the grid despite driving at his home track.

Later, Hamilton scripted a fabulous recovery and managed a second-place position in the end, ahead of Raikkonen but by then, Kimi and Ferrari had earned the wrath of a grieving Lewis who labelled the opening lap incident as being some kind of a 'tactic' deployed by Ferrari.

Insinuated by the incident- and to be fair to Lewis, who wasn't at fault for the accident- Hamilton's 'interesting tactics' comment would polarise the British GP and its reception in the end.