In one of the wildest and most unpredictable races in recent Formula 1 memory, Lando Norris took a sensational victory at his home Grand Prix at Silverstone, leading home teammate Oscar Piastri in a remarkable McLaren 1-2, while Nico Hülkenberg claimed an emotional first career podium after 239 race starts.
The 2025 British Grand Prix delivered drama in every direction, weather chaos, strategy gambles, crashes, penalties, and countless twists across all 52 laps of racing.
The grid lined up under ominous skies, with most of the field opting for full wet tyres, while a handful of risk-takers, including George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman, and Gabriel Bortoleto, dove into the pits after the formation lap to gamble on slicks. It quickly proved a mistake.
Pole-sitter Max Verstappen got a clean launch and held the lead into Turn 1, while chaos unfolded behind.
A three-wide incident between Liam Lawson, Esteban Ocon, and Yuki Tsunoda at Turn 5 saw the Kiwi sent into the barriers after Ocon was forced to move out of the way of Tsunoda and made contact with Lawson who also turned into the corner too early which resulted in Lawson sliding off track and retiring from the race.
A Virtual Safety Car was deployed, but the stewards deemed it a racing incident with no further action.
Moments earlier, Franco Colapinto retired due to mechanical failure, before Bortoleto, struggling on slicks, hit the gravel, picked up damage, and ultimately pulled over on track, triggering another VSC.
Once racing resumed, Oscar Piastri and Verstappen were locked in a fierce duel for the lead. The pair went wheel-to-wheel down Hangar Straight before Piastri swept around the outside to take control. The Australian then opened up a gap as conditions deteriorated again.
As rain intensified, those who had gambled on slicks earlier found themselves out of position and struggling.
Russell, Antonelli, Leclerc, and Hadjar were all mired at the back as the track worsened, and teams scrambled to switch to intermediate tyres.
As the full field started to wets, Lance Stroll emerged as a surprise contender, surging from 17th on the grid to 4th on strategy and pace. Behind him, Nico Hülkenberg, who started 19th, was also on a charge, climbing into the top five.
A Safety Car was deployed due to treacherous visibility, bunching up the field. When racing resumed on Lap 18, Piastri still led from Verstappen and Norris, but the carnage was far from over.
In near-zero visibility, Hadjar rear-ended Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Copse after misjudging the spray. The impact ripped the diffuser off Antonelli’s car and forced both out of the race, prompting another Safety Car.
Piastri’s restart from the SC came under scrutiny; he appeared to overbrake and slow the field excessively, nearly causing contact with Verstappen. The stewards would later hand Piastri a 10-second time penalty for a safety car infringement.
Things unravelled for Verstappen shortly after. A spin dropped him to 10th place, where he found himself sandwiched in a multi-car fight with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.
Verstappen later described his Red Bull as “undrivable” in the wet.
Tsunoda collided with Bearman, sending Bearman off spinning off track, which resulted in Tsunoda receiving a 10-second penalty, while Bearman would later come together with teammate Ocon, spinning both off the circuit. Antonelli became the fifth retirement, and only 23 laps had passed with 29 laps remaining.
Hamilton went wide, allowing Russell to move into sixth. Hamilton reported a “very snappy” car and was visibly struggling for grip.
Despite the penalty hanging over his head, Piastri managed to maintain a small gap over Norris, but with the drying track, strategy once again came into play.
On Lap 39, Russell became the first to gamble on slicks, only to slide off at Becketts while attempting to warm them. Others soon followed suit, with Fernando Alonso, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, and Albon all taking on slicks.
With conditions changing lap by lap, McLaren made their move: Piastri pitted on Lap 44, served his 10-second penalty, and rejoined just behind Norris, who stopped the following lap. Despite the delay, the McLaren pair remained in control.
As the laps ticked down, Norris stretched his lead, while behind him, Hülkenberg held firm in third, fending off Hamilton and Stroll. In the final laps, Verstappen clawed back to fifth, passing Stroll on the penultimate lap to salvage solid points on a frustrating day.
In front of a raucous home crowd, Lando Norris crossed the line to win the British Grand Prix. Piastri followed 6.8 seconds behind, turning in a gutsy recovery after his penalty.
But the biggest cheers may have been reserved for Nico Hülkenberg, who, after 239 Grands Prix, finally stood on the Formula 1 podium after starting 19th on the grid. It was an emotional moment for the German driver, whose underdog drive through the chaos will be remembered for years. His win also moves Kick Sauber up to 6th in the Constructor’s Championship, ahead of Racing Bulls and Aston Martin.
Hamilton’s 4th place finish sees his 10-year podium streak at Silverstone dating back to 2014, officially come to an end.
Final Classification – Top 10:
- Lando Norris (McLaren) 1:37:15.735
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +6.812s
- Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) +34.742s
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +39.812s
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +56.781s
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +59.857s
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +60.603s
- Alex Albon (Williams) +64.135s
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +65.858s
- George Russell (Mercedes) +70.674s
With Norris gaining maximum points and Piastri still salvaging second, the title race has tightened considerably to only 8 points between the two in the Driver Championship standings. Piastri was visibly upset and frustrated post-race, particularly with his penalty and finishing second after leading a large portion of the race.
Silverstone 2025 will go down as a classic, a race of high stakes, high drama, and history made in some challenging and treacherous conditions.
Header Image: Formula 1 via X
