Home hero Lando Norris clinched a sensational victory at a rain-soaked British Grand Prix on Sunday, leading a McLaren 1-2 finish ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri.
In a historic moment, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg secured his first-ever Formula 1 podium in his 239th career race, taking third place.
Norris was met with a thunderous reception from his adoring home crowd as he celebrated his fourth win of the season, adding to triumphs in Austria, Monaco, and Australia.
This victory also brings him within eight points of Piastri in the drivers’ standings. “It’s beautiful, everything I ever dreamed of,” beamed Norris, calling it “as good as it gets” outside of winning the championship.
Piastri Penalised, Hulkenberg’s Long-Awaited Podium
Piastri, who finished less than seven seconds behind Norris, missed out on the top spot after being hit with a 10-second penalty for a safety car infringement.
The Australian expressed his frustration, stating, “Apparently, you can’t brake behind the safety car anymore.”
For 37-year-old Hulkenberg, it was a day of immense celebration as he finally stood on an F1 podium after a career spanning since 2010. His ecstatic race engineer celebrated over the radio, “Podium—P3, baby!” to which a disbelieving Hulkenberg replied, “I don’t think I can comprehend what we’ve just done.”
The treacherous conditions, a mix of blue skies and torrential downpours, challenged all drivers. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Rounding out the top 10 were Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Alex Albon (Williams), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), and George Russell (Mercedes).
