Lando Norris gave British fans a day to remember as he stormed to victory at the British Grand Prix, finally delivering the home win he has long been chasing. In doing so, he becomes the first Brit, other than Lewis Hamilton, to claim the top step at Silverstone in over 20 years.
The McLaren star was clearly moved by the achievement, proudly acknowledging his place among Britain’s elite Formula 1 winners.
“I’ve joined a long list of pretty incredible winners who have won here in the past. Most of them are Lewis! But to join him and, from a British side, to continue the reign of the British here is pretty amazing,” Norris said.
It was a gripping, rain-hit race, full of twists and tension. Norris found himself perfectly placed to capitalise when teammate Oscar Piastri was handed a costly 10-second penalty for slowing unexpectedly under the Safety Car. That single moment changed everything, allowing Norris to take control and never look back.
As the race drew to a close, the energy at Silverstone was electric. Fans leapt to their feet, waving flags and roaring their support as Norris powered towards the chequered flag.
“The last two laps, looking up at the fans and seeing them on their feet and cheering – these are moments that no one really gets, none of you guys get to witness,” Norris said. “It’s a very selfish moment, but it’s one of the most special, the most incredible.”
Despite the win, Norris admitted it might not have been his finest drive from a technical point of view.
“For me, the best win, maybe not the best way to win. I’m not going say it’s my best win, that’s not true,” he admitted. “But in terms of what it means to win here at home, the want, the desire to do it in front of my own grandstand, my family, my friends, McLaren, His Royal Highness is here, to win in front of all of them and to make amends for last year makes it all even more special, very memorable.”
The emotions in the McLaren garage were clear during the post-race radio messages. But when asked about the tears heard over the radio, Norris laughed off the suggestion.
“No tears. I tried, but no. I don’t know. When I get emotional, I don’t cry, I just smile. It’s pure happiness. It’s pure enjoyment of the moment that you’re in. I wish I could cry because I think it looks better for pictures sometimes.”
This latest victory, coming just one week after his win in Austria, has launched Norris firmly into championship contention. He has now slashed Piastri’s lead to just eight points, with Max Verstappen trailing by a significant margin.
Lando Norris is now set for a thrilling showdown with teammate Oscar Piastri in the title fight, with the McLaren duo pushing each other to the limit as the season heats up.
Still, Norris is keeping his feet on the ground.
“I think it’s still just one race at a time,” he said. “It’s two wins, but they’ve not come easy by any means. We’ve had good fights, but they’re pretty strenuous, exhausting weekends because you’re fighting for hundredths and thousandths, and you’re fighting for perfection every session and I’m against some pretty good drivers.”
Norris made sure to acknowledge his teammate’s efforts too. “I give my credit to Oscar at the same time because he drove an extremely good race.”
With just two races left before the summer break, Norris is keen to keep pushing but knows consistency will be key.
“I’ve had two good weekends and, of course, I would love to continue that momentum, but it still requires more consistency. Two weekends doesn’t mean anything otherwise. And I just need to keep it up and keep working hard.”
The championship fight rolls on as F1 heads to Belgium later this month, where the Sprint format makes its return. The next race weekend takes place from July 25-27, live on Sky Sports F1.
