After an early bump from Kimi Raikkonen that put him 18th on the opening lap, Lewis Hamilton battled back to finish second in the British Grand Prix this past Sunday. 

Hamilton called the surge huge for the team, which has faced up and down results in 2018.

“We’re in a tough battle this year and it’s the most intense battle that I think we’ve probably all had,” said Hamilton.

"Honestly, to get back to second it’s huge for us. I will definitely take it, of course, and I’m happy with the drive that I did."

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel won Sunday's race and with him leading in driver standings, Hamilton's second place finish on Sunday helped him stay relatively close. Vettel leads 171 to 163. 

“I was last and I still believed I could win. I had to keep that mentality to get back to where I was," Hamilton said. 

Meanwhile, Canadian Lance Stroll finished 13th on Sunday and currently sits in 17th in driver points. 

The next stop comes on July 22 with the German Grand Prix.