Lewis Hamilton took a dominant victory in a hectic British Grand Prix to cut team-mate Nico Rosberg's championship lead to four points.

Hamilton led every lap of a race that started under the safety car in wet conditions but dried, to take his fourth career win at Silverstone.

Rosberg in the other Mercedes was left to battle back to second past the Red Bull of the impressive Max Verstappen. Rosberg had a late scare with a gearbox problem that could yet cost him second.

With five laps to go, Rosberg hit a problem which required him to reset systems in the car and then avoid seventh gear - shifting straight from sixth to eighth.

He hung on in second place but may yet lose it as the team are under investigation for the detail of the help they gave him over the radio, which may have transgressed limitations on the amount of help drivers can be given by teams.

Hamilton's win sent the 135,000 fans packed into the famous old track into paroxysms of joy as they cheered Hamilton's progress to the flag on the last lap.

It was an intoxicating race, with action throughout the field, featuring wheel-to-wheel racing and a number of spins and off-track moments as drivers struggled on the tricky track surface.