Lewis Hamilton delighted a 120,000 crowd of enthusiastic home fans when he revived his world championship bid on Sunday with an emphatic victory in a dramatic incident-filled British Grand Prix.

The 29-year-old Briton took full advantage of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg's first non-finish of the season, due to gearbox problems, to reduce the German's lead in the title race to just four points.

Driving with great elan and speed, the 2008 champion Hamilton came home 30 seconds clear of second-placed Finn Valtteri Bottas of Williams, who started from 14th on the grid.

It was Hamilton's second home win at the British Grand Prix, his fifth of the season and the 27th of his career drawing him level with fellow-Briton three-time champion Jackie Stewart in the record books.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo, of Red Bull, finished third ahead of 2009 champion Briton Jenson Button, of McLaren, defending four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany in the second Red Bull and two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

Alonso's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was involved in a spectacular high-speed opening lap accident that halted the race for an hour, for repairs to the barriers. 

The Finn lost control, spun, hit the barriers and collided with Brazilian Felipe Massa's Williams. Both escaped serious injury, but Raikkonen, whose car was massively damaged, limped away and required later x-rays on his right ankle.

Massa was forced out with a damaged car.