15/07/2025 13:35
Lando Norris has revealed his sole fear en route to securing his
place in British Grand Prix history he claims will stay with him
forever. At the seventh time of asking, Norris savoured success at
Silverstone for the first time, leading home a McLaren one-two to
close the gap at the top of the drivers' standings on team-mate
Oscar Piastri to eight points. In doing so, Norris became the 13th
British driver to take the chequered flag in his home race, and the
first McLaren driver to taste victory on home soil since Lewis
Hamilton in 2008. On the final lap however, with victory in his
sights, there was one natural thought running through his head -
"Don't do anything stupid." Given the wet-dry conditions of the
circuit that day, Norris' thoughts were understandable, in
particular, given his approach to the finish line. "We were on
slicks, and it was completely wet on the inside," said Norris, in
an interview on McLaren's website to reflect on his triumph. "I
wanted to go as close to the pit wall in front of all the mechanics
as possible, but it's so easy to crash at that point." The victory
finally allowed Norris to realise a dream he had held since
watching Hamilton win the 2008 British Grand Prix when he was eight
years old. It was one of the seven-time F1 champion's most iconic
drives, winning by 68.5 seconds in wet conditions. "Since that
day, I have thought, 'What is it like to stand on the top step at
home in front of the British fans?'" said Norris. "Dreams do come
true.. "It genuinely is the first one I watched on TV, many, many
years ago - one of the best races ever, and a lot of what I
remember is the fans, the cheers and the noise. Now I've gotten to
live that. "[On the final lap] I was thinking of that, while at
the same time, looking up at the grandstands all around the
circuit, trying to take in the feeling. "[Winning in] Monaco was
very special and cool, but I've always said the one I wanted to win
more than any was Silverstone, because of the fans. "I wanted to
really take in the atmosphere… the fans up on their feet, cheering
and clapping, and now I can picture it perfectly. That is something
that very few people, especially Brits at their home race, have
ever gotten to feel, but I am one of them." Norris 'emotion' means
more than words In crossing the line, Norris followed in the
footsteps of not just Hamilton, but 11 other British stars -
Stirling Brooks, Tony Brooks, Peter Collins, Jim Clark, Jackie
Stewart, James Hunt, John Watson, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Johnny
Herbert, and David Coulthard. Although Norris conceded the list "is
full of some pretty cool guys," he added: "I want to win as many
races as possible, but a number won't define my memories. "I will
always be proud that I won at Silverstone. It is the one that puts
the biggest smile on my face and probably will do forever. The one
memory I'll always have with me will probably be this weekend."
Although naturally special and memorable, Norris then found it
difficult to put into words what the win meant to him overall, in
particular with so many family and friends in attendance - as well
as those he would have liked to have been there. "I think the
emotion shows what it means better than words," said Norris. "My
mum and dad, my brother, my sisters, and my dad's parents were all
there. Having my whole family there and celebrating with them all
was very special. "I am sure my mum's parents would have been very
proud. They'd have loved to have been there. I am sure they were
looking down and enjoying the moment. They have all been on the
journey with me. "My family have been by my side from the very,
very beginning, so to have them all there, and to get the trophy
and stand on the top step, I think it means as much to them as it
does to me. "McLaren haven't won this race since 2008, so to bring
it back to them - and a lot of the team were there then also - was
nice. It's a good moment for the whole team."
