Norris Reigns Supreme at Silverstone: British Grand Prix Report

The 2025 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was more than just a race; it was a masterclass in adapting to adversity, a test of nerves, and ultimately, a triumphant homecoming. From a local hero's unforgettable win to a rookie's redemption and an old hand's long-awaited glory, this race weekend had it all.

Lando Norris: Home-turf hero

In a moment that will forever be etched in British motorsport history, Lando Norris brought the house down in front of his adoring fans, securing his first-ever British Grand Prix victory. This wasn't just another win; it was his fourth of the season, a testament to McLaren's prowess and Norris' incredible drive in unpredictable conditions. Or was it? Lando was off the pace in the early stages of the race, falling behind the battling Verstappen and Piastri as the rain came down.

As the dry conditions approached, however, the McLaren man began to reel in his teammate. Verstappen, now out of the picture, could do nothing to stop the two McLarens, and Piastri's penalty, that we will discuss shortly, gave Lando a 10-second advantage. Despite this, the Brit only finished some 5 seconds up the road. It was a clean drive from Lando, but not the hero's homecoming that it is being portrayed in the media. If he wants to take this championship, he is going to need to do better than a couple of assisted wins.

In Austria, the team broke up the fight between the McLaren boys by pitting them on alternate strategies, and then refusing to allow Piastri to utilise that offset. At Silverstone, Lando was fortunate that the fight never arrived due to a penalty for his teammate. The pace has been there or thereabouts, but there are a lot of races left for Piastri to pull this one back. If he's second on his bad days, that's not enough for Lando.

Piastri's Pain: A costly penalty

I briefly mentioned it there, but Norris' teammate, Oscar Piastri, endured a rollercoaster of emotions. After leading much of the race with blistering pace, the Aussie fell victim to a series of safety cars that nullified his advantage. At the safety car restart, a controversial 10-second penalty for braking too hard, or braking erratically as the FIA ruled, saw his lead vanish in the next pit stop phase. Verstappen, behind, was forced to take evasive action and would spin at the next corner, but it was the knock on effect for the remaining cars that put the final nail in the penalty coffin.

The team debated the penalty, arguing that it wasn't so different to Russell's actions at the Canadian Grand Prix a few weeks ago. Russell's braking force was around the 30 PSI mark, where Piastri was almost double at 59 PSI. This, combined with the weather and track conditions, gave the FIA no choice. The 10 seconds does seem a bit harsh, let's not forget that this is the same penalty that Verstappen received in Spain for colliding with Russell. The championship leader did challenge the team though, arguing that if they too believed the penalty was harsh, then they should swap the cars. But once again, McLaren showed no signs of favouring either driver, and instead did nothing.

Hulkenberg's Historic Podium: 239 races in the making

I am old enough to remember Nico's arrival in the paddock. A rookie season that saw a podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix, a shock move to Force India, a missed opportunity with Hamilton a few years later, a move to Sauber later, followed by the return to Force India, and eventually Renault where another podium narrowly escaped his grasp, Nico has sure been through the field. In 2019, he described himself as burnt out and almost done with the sport, deciding to take some time away and focus on his family life. He stayed as a reserve driver for the Silverstone team (Racing Point and later Aston Martin), replacing Perez, Vettel, and Stroll when required.

The urge to race at the pinnacle of motorsport never left though, and he returned to the sport in white, driving for Haas in 2023 and 2024. While it was almost impossible for him to set the world alight in the Haas, Nico put in a string of solid races, kept his nose clean, and brought Haas back from a difficult time. In 2025, it was clear a move to Audi was on the cards and Nico signed for Sauber. Most people assumed that this year would be a year to embed himself in the team, keep the damage costs down, and just wait it out. But it has been quite the opposite.

Over the last few races, Nico has outscored Max Verstappen and Red Bull. He has put in some incredible performances from the midfield to score more points than the Sauber team has scored in the last few years. But Silverstone was the icing on the cake. In one of the most heartwarming stories of the season, Nico Hulkenberg finally broke his podium curse. In his staggering 239th F1 start, the Hulk secured his maiden podium finish.

He started 19th on the grid after a poor qualifying, and masterfully navigated the treacherous conditions, holding off a charging Lewis Hamilton in the dying stages, after overtaking Stroll in the wet. It was a moment of pure joy, from the crowd cheering, the commentators getting all emotional, the other teams and drivers in the paddock celebrating, and even the moment he showed he had no idea what he was supposed to do. The one thing I wish had been different? The McLaren duo didn't celebrate with him at all. They sprayed each other with champagne and then celebrated with their team representative. It would have been nice to see him treated better on the podium.

The Weather's Unpredictable Hand: Verstappen's spin

The British Grand Prix was a strategic nightmare and a driver's ultimate test, thanks to the constantly changing weather. From heavy rain to a drying track, the race saw multiple tyre changes between intermediates and slicks, creating endless strategic dilemmas. One thing that we didn't see were the wet tyres, even in torrential rain. What is the point in having those tyres if every time it is wet enough to use them we throw out a safety car or a red flag? Anyway, the challenging conditions led to frequent safety car deployments, bunching the field up and promising drama at every turn.

One such incident occurred in the controversial Piastri moment. Shortly after being brake-checked down the Hangar Straight, Verstappen dropped his car at Stowe. We've seen many a driver over the years drop it there, including the 4-time world champion. But it seems this year was entirely due to the downforce level he was running, aiming for straight-line speed to keep the McLarens at bay. This ultimately proved to be his downfall, dropping him down the order. In true Verstappen form, the Dutchman mounted a tenacious comeback, complaining about his car at every opportunity, to finish in fifth place. It is just enough to keep the Dutchman in third place in the standings ahead of George Russell, thus not triggering his contract clause, but with Spa on the 27th of July, there is still chance that he could drop to fourth before the month is over.

Hamilton's Streak and Rookie Woes

It wasn't everyone's favourite weekend of the year, though. In his first British Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver, Lewis Hamilton did show glimpses of his formidable pace, topping FP1 early in the weekend. Ferrari were up and down the order constantly, topping Q2 but then being nowhere in Q3. While he battled hard, he ultimately finished behind Hulkenberg in fourth place, just missing out on a podium. The result ends a remarkable 12-race podium streak at Silverstone, a track at which he has 9 victories.

The mixed conditions proved particularly unforgiving for the grid's newest talents. Young drivers like Isack Hadjar and Kimi Antonelli found themselves out of the race after colliding with each other in the rain. Colapinto had a dreadful weekend in his final contracted race for Alpine, exiting early in qualifying, starting from the pitlane, and retiring after lap 1 is not the weekend he needs with rumours Bottas will replace him in Spa. Lawson was unlucky to be on the outside of two other cars on the opening lap, a collision with Ocon and a trip across the gravel saw the Kiwi man DNF early. Bortoleto also had a spin in the wet conditions, seeing the star of Austria exit the race early too. In fact the only rookie to finish the race was Brit Oliver Bearman, who suffered a 10-place penalty for a red flag infringement in free practice, without which he might have scored some good points.

Don't miss out on the next chapter of this thrilling 2025 F1 season. Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive race analysis, driver interviews, and breaking new straight from the paddock. And tell us, what was your favourite moment from the unforgettable 2025 British Grand Prix? Share your thoughts in the comments below.