06/07/2025 17:47
Lando Norris scored a double first in securing victory at the end
of a chaotic, rain-hit British Grand Prix. McLaren driver Norris
lapped up the adulation of a record 168,000 Silverstone crowd after
scoring his first win on home soil in F1, and his first
back-to-back following his success in Austria seven days ago.
Norris was aided by a 10-second penalty for team-mate Oscar Piastri
after the Australian braked hard behind the safety car in the wet
conditions. Seemingly unsighted by the spray, second-placed Max
Verstappen hurtled by. Despite a call to his team late on to
reverse positions after serving his penalty, his words were
ignored, allowing Norris to claim the win and close the gap to his
title rival to eight points. Behind the McLaren duo, through all
the mayhem, Stake's Nico Hulkenberg, who started 19th, secured the
first podium of his career in his 239th start. For Sauber, it is
the organisation's first podium for 13 years. Behind the German,
Lewis Hamilton was fourth in his Ferrari, ending the seven-time F1
champion's run of 12 consecutive British GP podiums, ollowed by
Verstappen with a fine fifth after a spin earlier in the race in
which he lost eight places. Following heavy bursts of rain
throughout the morning and early afternoon, by the time the race
started at 3pm local time, although intermediate tyres were on all
cars for the formation lap, which was surprisingly conducted behind
the safety car, parts of the circuit were dry. It meant that at the
end of the formation lap, Russell, Leclerc, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel
Bortoleto, and Ollie Bearman all pitted to take on slick tyres.
Once the race began from a standing start, Racing Bulls' Liam
Lawson was the first casualty after being hit by Esteban Ocon in
his Haas, sending the New Zealander hurtling off track with a
puncture and damage to the floor. It led to a virtual safety car,
slowing the field down to collect Lawson's stricken car, during
which Franco Colapinto retired due to his Alpine being stuck in
second gear. A few laps later, Stake's Gabriel Bortoleto became the
third retiree after sliding off the track and into a barrier after
hitting a damp patch on his medium rubber. Although he managed to
get going again, severe damage to his rear wing forced his team to
order him to stop the car, sparking a second VSC. After Piastri
passed Verstappen on lap eight to take the lead, the Dutchman then
lost second to Norris after sliding off the track momentarily on
lap 11 on worn inters as the rain started to fall again. At the end
of the 11th lap, the field took to the pits to take on fresh
inters, during which a slow stop for Norris allowed Verstappen to
reclaim second. As the rain intensified, race director Rui Marques
summoned the safety car, on lap 14 bunching up the field led by
Piastri, followed by Verstappen, Norris, Aston Martin's Lance
Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg in his Stake, Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Ocon -
still on his starting set of inters - Hamilton, Russell and Alonso
in 10th. No sooner had the race restarted on lap 18 than the safety
car was summoned again after Hadjar ran into the back of Antonelli.
It resulted in the Frenchman skidding off the circuit and heavily
into a barrier. Hadjar is to be investigated after the race for
causing a collision, whilst Antonelli had to make a third stop of
the race. Under the safety car, leader Piastri foolishly slammed on
the brakes at one stage, sending Verstappen, in his spray, to
hurtle past, and a severe complaint from the Dutchman. A swift
investigation from the stewards led to his penalty, handing the net
lead to Norris. On lap 21, just as the safety car peeled away,
Verstappen slid in the wet conditions, performing brilliantly to
keep his car out of a barrier, but falling eight places from second
to 10th. The busy stewards then handed Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda a
10-second penalty for causing a collision with Bearman after
sending the Briton into a spin on lap 22. After losing a position
to Russell, Hamilton soon reclaimed sixth before making his way
past Gasly on lap 30 for fifth, leaving him to chase down
third-placed Stroll and fourth-placed Hulkenberg. On lap 35,
Hulkenberg found himself in the podium positions after sweeping by
Stroll. On the same lap, Hamilton also passed the Canadian to move
into fourth. Alonso and Russell were the first to gamble by
switching back to slips, and for the latter, it proved disastrous
as he spun wildly through 720 degrees. It was clear the call was
too soon from Aston Martin and Mercedes. A few laps later, with the
track drying, and Hamilton unable to close in on Hulkenberg, he
sparked a pit-stop charge onto slicks. Hulkenberg waited for the
following lap. Piastri then served his 10-second penalty after 43
laps, with Norris pitting a lap later. Piastri suggested over the
radio that the team swap positions if they believed his penalty to
be unfair. Piastri was informed, however, that there would be no
team orders. For the closing laps, the drama abated, with Hamilton
unable to making any inroads on Hulkenberg, finishing five seconds
adrift. Gasly, Stroll, Williams' Alex Albon, Alonso and Russell
completed the top 10, with Bearman 11th.
