Lando Norris claimed a landmark home victory at the British Grand Prix, overcoming dramatic weather, multiple safety cars, and a time penalty for team-mate Oscar Piastri to take his first ever win at Silverstone. The emotional triumph brings Norris within just eight points of Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
The McLaren duo once again led the field, with Piastri controlling much of the race in changing conditions before being penalised for erratic driving during a restart. He served a 10-second penalty at his final pit stop, handing the lead and eventually the win to Norris, who described the moment as “beautiful” and admitted to crying on the slow-down lap.
Hülkenberg’s First Podium, Verstappen Slides Again
Behind the McLaren battle, Nico Hülkenberg produced a stunning drive from 19th on the grid to finish third for Sauber, earning his first-ever podium in his 239th Grand Prix start. The 37-year-old fended off a late challenge from Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari to secure a popular result with fans and teams alike.
Max Verstappen endured another difficult outing. After spinning behind the safety car restart and briefly dropping to 10th, the Red Bull driver recovered to finish fifth but now sits a distant 69 points off Piastri in the championship.
Rain Chaos and Safety Car Drama
Silverstone saw record crowds, 168,000 on race day and over 500,000 across the weekend and they were treated to a chaotic spectacle. Rain arrived just before the race, and intensified mid-way through, leading to three separate safety car deployments. The final restart proved pivotal, with Piastri falling foul of the stewards after slowing unexpectedly on the Hangar Straight, echoing controversy from Canada involving George Russell.
Despite his anger at the penalty, Piastri held second place, with Norris overtaking him as he served his penalty in the pits nine laps from the finish. Norris then held on to seal a landmark victory in front of his home crowd.
Points for Alonso and Albon, Frustration for Russell
Fernando Alonso recovered from early strategy woes and a poorly timed final stop to finish ninth, just ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, who also pitted early for slicks in the closing stages. Williams’ Alex Albon finished eighth, with Pierre Gasly taking sixth for Alpine after briefly running in the top five.
Lance Stroll dropped from third to seventh as his intermediate tyre strategy unravelled late on. Behind Verstappen in fifth and Hamilton in fourth, the top ten was rounded out by an eclectic mix of veterans and rising talents—typical of the unpredictable conditions at Silverstone.
What’s Next?
Formula 1 now heads into a three-week summer break before returning with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps (25–27 July), which will feature the next Sprint race of the season.
