Max Verstappen may have won the British Grand Prix to secure Red Bull’s 11th win in a row, but there was British success at Silverstone as Lando Norris came second, and Lewis Hamilton finished third.
The two British drivers thrilled the home crowd from the very first moment, as Norris took the lead from the off, launching past Verstappen to spark wild celebrations around the track. Those celebrations may have been slightly premature as Verstappen got past him and then led the race from that point to the chequered flag.
But Norris was voted as driver of the day in a McLaren that showed immense pace after the upgrades. If qualification was good, the race turned out to be even better as Norris and Piastri both ended with top four finishes - their best performances of the season so far. The McLaren even drew plaudits from Hamilton as the seven-time champion stated "That McLaren is a rocket ship," after the race.
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Norris showed huge maturity to hold off Hamilton while chasing Verstappen and this result has to go down as one of the best of his career. Credit must go to the crowd favourite at Silverstone, Hamilton, who started in 7th and even had to get past Fernando Alonso early on before shooting up to third in the standings.
Oscar Piastri was unfortunately to miss out on a podium after a late safety car saw him lose a position, but this was still a sign of the progress McLaren have made, at a track that suited them.
“It was a pretty insane,” Norris said after his first podium on home soil “Thanks to the whole team, they have done an amazing job. None of this would be possible without their hard work.
"They put me on hard tyres. I don't know why. They are still beginners in something! It was an amazing fight with Lewis, I made a few too many mistakes maybe. I did what I could. I brought the fight to Max for as long as possible. It's a long lonely race when you're in the middle but it's amazing."
Verstappen deserves credit as well. He now leads the championship by 99 points, a total that proves his dominance. In fact, he can now finish every race left this season in second and still win the title. 11 wins in a row is an amazing achievement for Red Bull, while Verstappen himself, if he was a one-man team, would still lead the Constructors’ Championship. Insane dominance.
But two Brits on the podium at Silverstone for the first time since 1999. That's something we can all celebrate.
Top 10
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
5. George Russell (Mercedes)
6. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
8. Alex Albon (Williams)
9. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
10. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
