- Lando Norris claimed victory at the British Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon
- He described it as a dream come true and reignited title challenge
- ‘It hurts because I know I deserved a lot more than I got today’, said Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris called it a dream come true as he joined the royalty of national motor racing by winning the British Grand Prix.
He recalled how as an eight-year-old he watched Lewis Hamilton triumph in the wet in 2008 by more than a minute. Now aged 25, he celebrated emulating him after a flawless – if fortuitous – win at a rain-lashed Silverstone.
‘This victory is everything I dreamed of,’ smiled Norris, whose title challenge is reignited as he goes eight points behind his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri with 12 rounds down and 12 to go. ‘Being on top at your home race is very, very special.
‘From a British perspective, I join a long list of pretty incredible winners – mostly Lewis (the record nine-time winner). To join him and continue the reign of the British at Silverstone is amazing.
‘Looking up at the fans and seeing them on their feet, your mind just goes pretty blank. The main thing is just don’t f*** it up. I was trying to enjoy the moment.’
His chance to become the 12th home winner of the race came when Piastri slammed on the brakes as the safety car prepared to pull in midway through the race. The Australian was handed a 10-second penalty for ‘erratic braking’ – a verdict Piastri, who finished runner-up, disputed.
Lando Norris won his home British grand Prix to close the gap at the top of the standings
There were jubilant scenes as Norris celebrated with his team following his victory
Norris, who started third, moved into second place when quadruple world champion Max Verstappen spun, and was handed the lead by virtue of Piastri’s sanction. He then drove well in tricky conditions to prevail by just over six seconds.
Saying that he did not cry in the cockpit, he added: ‘It is a selfish moment, in a way, but so special and incredible because it is such a rare thing to feel. For me, it is my best win – maybe not the best way to win, but in terms of what it means to me, winning at home. Apart from winning a championship, this is as good as it gets.’
Norris went out to greet celebrating fans afterwards and got an elbow in the face as a fence panel fell into the crowd, leaving with a small cut to his nose in the melee.
Piastri was furious at his treatment. ‘I hit the brakes and at the same time the lights went out on the safety car,’ he protested. ‘I didn’t do anything differently from my first restart. I didn’t go slower.
‘It hurts because I know I deserved a lot more than I got today.
‘I felt it was well within the rules. I don’t really get it. I will go and have a look back.
‘But Lando didn’t do anything wrong so I don’t think it would have been fair to swap us around, though I thought I should ask. It doesn’t change much for the championship.’
Piastri also lost to Norris in Austria a week earlier. The Briton is gaining strength, momentum rolling with him.
Oscar Piastri insisted that he deserved more from the race at Silverstone
Hamilton, meanwhile finished fourth on his Ferrari debut at Silverstone, with a late excursion off track costing the 40-year-old a possible crack at the third place secured by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.
‘It’s only my second time driving this car in the wet,’ said Hamilton. ‘I can’t even express how hard it is. It’s not a car that likes those conditions.
‘We have lots of data to take from this. I have to sit down with the people designing next year’s car because there are elements that cannot go on.’
