Norris claims first victory at Silverstone

It was a lovely day at Silverstone for McLaren as they produced their second consecutive one-two finish, and fifth of the season, to extend their lead in the drivers’ standings.

Lando Norris, who started from P3, took advantage of teammate Oscar Piastri being handed a 10-second penalty to take the lead and win his first British Grand Prix. 

The effort of the McLaren duo sees their team sit at the top of the constructors’ standings with over 200 points ahead of second-place Ferrari. 

The win helped reduce the gap between Norris and Piastri, who finished second, to just eight points. Nico Hulkenberg finished third for his first-ever podium finish, while also ending Kick Sabeur’s 13-year wait to have their driver make a podium appearance.

Max Verstappen’s P1 start on Sunday saw him lead the first seven laps in the race, later finishing in fifth place. By lap 8, he was overtaken by Piastri, and the Australian led for most of the race.

At lap 21, however, he was given a 10-second penalty for breaking just as the safety lights went out. This brake led Verstappen, who was trailing behind, to snatch the lead for a few seconds, before Piastri regained it.

Lap 43 saw Piastri make a pit stop to change tyres, serving his penalty in the process. This was when Norris took the lead, which resulted in his victory. Although he made a stop at lap 44, he was able to pit fast and eventually led the race to the finish. 

After the race, Piastri was understandably frustrated, even though he could not say much to avoid breaking further rules. He said: “Yeah, I mean, apparently you can’t brake behind the safety car. I mean, I did it for five laps before that… I’m not going to say too much, though, or I will get myself in trouble.”

Norris was quite elated to win his first home GP, describing it as a memory he will remember “more than anything”.