Lando Norris survived a relentlessly dramatic British Grand Prix to deliver his first F1 win on home soil. Oscar Piastri came home in second after a penalty, while Nico Hulkenberg held off Lewis Hamilton for his maiden podium at the 239th time of asking.
The tone was set for a chaotic British GP on the formation lap. With the track drying out, George Russell, Charles Leclerc and a cohort of other drivers dipped into the pit lane to gamble on slick tyres. When the race got underway with Verstappen holding the lead, both Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto suffered race-ending incidents.
Rain then returned, bringing mayhem with it. Lance Stroll climbed to fourth on a bold strategy, while Piastri stretched out a 14-second lead over Verstappen at the head of the field. Norris had also squeezed past the Dutchman, who was struggling with Red Bull’s lack of downforce.
A safety car was eventually thrown with the spray intensifying, and after it was withdrawn, Bernd Maylander was immediately called back into action. Isack Hadjar ran into the back of Kimi Antonelli, with the Italian starlet doing a remarkable job to stay on the race track.
The ensuing safety car sparked more chaos. Max Verstappen spun on the restart, losing eight places in the process, but not before race leader Piastri braked too hard with the cars stacking up. He was hit with a 10-second penalty, opening the door for Norris to charge ahead.
When the racing resumed, the field calmed down, and the pack became strung out. Hamilton stormed through with a podium in his sights, overtaking Russell, Pierre Gasly and Stroll before piling the pressure on Hulkenberg, who was chasing a first-ever top-three F1 finish.
As the field switched to slicks and Piastri served his penalty, Norris inherited the lead, bringing his MCL39 across the line to delight his adoring home fans. Hulkenberg also enjoyed his moment in the sun, holding off Hamilton to end his gut-wrenching wait for an F1 podium.
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