SILVERSTONE, England.— Lando Norris won his home British Grand Prix for the first time in a wave of elation as McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished second and made his unhappiness evident to all on a wet and chaotic Silverstone Sunday.
The Australian, his championship lead cut to eight points from 15, had looked a more likely winner but a 10-second penalty for braking sharply behind the safety car while leading ultimately left Norris as the one celebrating.
McLaren had indicated it could appeal, prompting Piastri to suggest more in hope than expectation that he and Norris switch places, but in the end the team told the drivers to continue racing for position.
Norris was overcome by emotion, although he said he had not cried behind the visor, as he took the checkered flag 6.8 seconds clear.
“We did it, at home. Oh my god, we did it. It’s beautiful,” he gasped over the radio after winning back-to-back races for the first time.
“Apart from a championship, I think this is as good as it gets in terms of feelings and in terms of achievement, being proud, all of it,” he said later.
It was the Briton’s fourth win of the season, one less than Piastri, and McLaren’s fifth one-two.
Piastri gave every impression of chewing on lemons as he was interviewed by 2009 world champion Jenson Button.
“I’m not going to say much. I’ll get myself in trouble. Well done to Nico. I think that’s the highlight of the day,” he said acidly of third-place finisher Nico Hulkenberg.
Hulkenberg’s achievement was also emotional, the 37-year-old German making up 16 places to shed an unwanted record of the most races without a podium in Formula One history—Sunday being his first in 239 starts.
“I don’t think I can comprehend what we’ve just done,” said the stunned German before wild pit lane celebrations with his teammates.
“It feels good. It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it? But I always knew we had it in us, I have it in me, somewhere.”
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, last year’s winner with Mercedes, finished fourth with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fifth after starting on pole position but spinning out of contention.
Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine, Lance Stroll seventh for Aston Martin—after running third for a while—and Alex Albon eighth for Williams.
