IT only lasted nine corners but the opening lap of the British Grand Prix felt like a seismic Formula One moment.

It was supposed to be the introduction of the revolutionary Saturday sprint race that spiced up the action.

As it turns out, a high-speed smash and a good bit of fisticuffs is the best way to make F1 box office again.

Lewis Hamilton’s first-lap collision with Max Verstappen was the result of a rivalry that has been simmering all season — and it has sparked an outright war between the two drivers and their respective teams.

In the searing heat of Silverstone, tempers boiled over as both became over-run by the occasion.

Hamilton, desperate for a win in front of his home fans to remain in the title hunt —  Verstappen, out to crush his opponent in front of a 140,000 crowd and send out a strong marker.

It led to a thrilling start. Hamilton corrected his error from the previous day and made an excellent getaway from the start line.

The two traded places over nine corners, sending the fans into raptures before the inevitable happened.

Hamilton tagged the rear right of Verstappen’s Red Bull, sending him hurtling into the barriers at 180mph. The hefty impact was measured at a G-force of 51G and understandably led to a red flag as he was picked out of the wreckage.

Shaken, winded, Verstappen was sent to hospital for additional checks and was still there as he watched on TV as his rival reduced his 33-point advantage to just eight.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner accused Hamilton of putting Verstappen’s life in danger with his “desperate” driving.

Horner rapped: “That’s a hollow victory. Putting a fellow driver in hospital and writing off a car, receiving a menial penalty and still winning the Grand Prix doesn’t feel like much of a punishment.

“It just felt like a desperate move from Lewis.”

Asked if Hamilton’s move on Verstappen left his star man’s life in danger, a furious Horner replied: “Of course. His actions have put in jeopardy another driver’s safety and for me that is unacceptable.

“Every Grand Prix driver knows that a move at that corner – one of the fastest in Formula One – is a massive, massive risk.

“He started wheel-banging with Max and then to stick a wheel up the inside at Copse Corner, one of the fastest in this championship, pretty much flat-out at 180mph, there’s only ever likely to be one consequence of that.

“It’s disappointing from a seven-time world champion that he made such a desperate move and put a fellow driver in hospital.

“That was an amateur’s mistake, a desperate mistake. We were very lucky someone wasn’t seriously injured.

“I don’t see how Lewis can take any satisfaction from the win when you have put your fellow competitor in hospital.”

Was it premeditated? There was some suggestion from the Red Bull camp that it was.

Horner added: “I think Lewis was wound up after Saturday’s result when Verstappen took pole.

“You could see that. It was  the crowd and he was pretty motivated and he made a massive misjudgement.

“He knew, had Max come through that corner, he might not have seen him again for the afternoon.”

For Hamilton, he was adamant that he was in the right and did not deserve the ten-second penalty that came after some hefty lobbying of the FIA by Red Bull.

Hamilton said: “It’s a normal battle, when I was younger I was maybe not as aggressive as Max is, but pretty aggressive. I’m a lot older now. I know it’s a marathon not a sprint, I have a better view in how I approach my racing.

“But we’re in a battle and when he’s been very aggressive, most times I’ve had to concede to avoid an  incident.

“This one, I was really happy with the dummy that I made — going to the left then up the inside and up that gap.

“Fortunately, he wasn’t able to close it but unfortunately the aggression stayed from his side and we collided.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s a racing incident and these things happen.

“I think we have to find the best balance on track, with space and respect so we can continue racing without colliding.

“Did I ever think we would be back in the title fight?

“I prayed and hoped for it but I thought it would be a long slog,  trying to regain any of the points. But now, the race is on.”

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Verstappen’s crash saw the race red-flagged and stopped for 40  minutes as his battered Red Bull car was recovered and the crash barriers repaired.

Sensing the incoming wrath of the stewards, Toto Wolff also tested the influence of the stewards as the  Mercedes boss emailed Michael Masi, the Race Director. Only the Aussie gave Wolff short shrift, telling him to come and see him if he wanted to discuss the matter.

Rightly or wrongly, seven-time world champ Hamilton was hit with a ten-second time penalty as has become the preferred punishment of the officials in recent races.

Both Horner and Wolff are now at loggerheads, with the Red Bull boss accusing Wolff of trying to interfere with their judgement.

Horner said: “I saw Toto was lobbying the stewards which I heard he was going to do, so I went to make sure our view was represented.

“I don’t think it’s right that team principals should go and lobby the stewards so  they are not influenced.

“For me, it was unacceptable that he had gone up there to lobby them. I wanted to make sure there was a balanced opinion given.”

At the second restart, Hamilton adopted a different approach as he held second place without putting the squeeze on race leader Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who had pounced in the tangle ahead of him.

Just behind, McLaren’s Lando  Norris breezed past Valtteri Bottas while Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel spun and sunk to the back of the pack before he eventually retired.

Out in front Leclerc managed some engine issues while Hamilton served his penalty on lap 28. When he did return to the pulsating race he was in fifth place.

But Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s slow pitstop, plus a neat pass at Copse on  Norris — the same place he hit Verstappen — saw Hamilton back up to third.

Then came the order from the Mercedes pitwall for Bottas to allow his team-mate through with 12 laps to go.

What would have felt like the final nail in his coffin,  extinguishing his hopes of staying with the team next year, Bottas was told: “Team order, do not fight Lewis.

“We invert the cars into turn 15, this lap.”

With Hamilton up to  second it became a grandstand finish as he hunted down Leclerc for the win, slicing into the Ferrari man’s advantage.

It was classic Hamilton as he pounded out the laps going quicker and quicker.

Finally, he got the move done with two laps to go — again at Copse — and went on take the  chequered flag.

Hamilton may have won this battle in Britain — but there is a real sense this war has only just begun.