The British Grand Prix was a thrilling wet-dry race in which positions changed drastically and strategy and racing skills were key. When the checkered flag was waved, however, it was Lando Norris who saw it first as he drove across the line to win his first home race at Silverstone. His teammate Oscar Piastri was next to see the flag, as he finished in what will be a disappointing second for the Aussie. And finally, standing on the last step of the podium, was Nico Hulkenberg, who, of all his 239 career race starts, has never finished in the top three, took his maiden podium today in Great Britian. The race was one to remember, so here is all the highlights from the Grand Prix.
- Weather Played a Huge Part
- All the drivers lined up on the grid with intermediate tires bolted on to their cars due to the weather conditions. However, after the formation lap was completed, some drivers decided to take a gamble and pit for slicks. Among these were Charles Leclerc and George Russell, who went in while their teammates lined up to start the race on the track. Ultimately, the risk did not seem to pay off for them, as the rain only got heavier from their, though there was some talk of switching to slicks during a lull in the showers. One notably risk was Lance Stroll, who boxed to put of soft tires, a gamble that did eventually pay off, despite some grumbling from the unhappy teammate Fernando Alonso. The weather also caused some surprise shifting of the grid, especially as DNFs cut the amount of drivers on track, in which we saw Hulkenberg climb from P19 to third, and Leclerc drop down to P14.
- Four DNFs, One DNS
- With the heavy rain conditions, accidents were bound to happen, and many happened indeed. Franco Colapinto stalled in the pit box, meaning he failed to even start his race, while Liam Lawson went three wide with Tsunoda and Ocon, causing him to make contact and spin out, narrowly avoiding the barriers. The first virtual safety car of the race was deployed to ensure his car got safely back to the pits. We saw the second VSC shortly afterwards, when Gabriel Bortoleto spun and crashed in the wet conditions on Lap 4. The rain started coming down heavier as the race went on, which did trigger a safety car, however once the car came in, it had to come out once more shortly after due to Isack Hadjar crashing into the back of Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes and spinning out to hit the barriers. The incident also caused significant damage to Antonelli’s car, and the young driver had to retire the car later into the race. Overall, the rookies did not have a great time out in Silverstone, with Ollie Bearman the only rookie that finished the race.
- Ten-Second Penalty for Oscar Piastri
- Oscar Piastri had taken the lead from Max Verstappen on Lap 8, and was leading for the first safety car restart as well as the second, however the second restart did not go as smoothly for the McLaren driver. As the safety car was coming in, Piastri braked heavily and surprisingly, while Verstappen continued at the same pace and surpassed the McLaren for a brief moment. The incident clearly caught the four-time World Champion off gaurd, because when the pack got going again, the Red Bull had a spin, and Verstappen lost multiple places. The braking of Piastri was investigated during the race and he was handed a ten-second penalty, which he served in the pit lane. This was what helped Lando Norris to gain the lead of the Grand Prix.
- Nico Hulkenberg’s Maiden Podium
- Hulkenberg may not have been blessed with the best car for the 2025 season, however he’s shown what he’s capable of with multiple points finishes throughout the last handful of races. And this time around, the rain worked in his advantage, as he found himself in fourth place, behind Lance Stroll, after starting from nineteenth on the grid. Eventually, once DRS was enabled again, after being disabled due to weather conditions, the Sauber driver was able to pass Stroll and land in third place. The pressure was not over, however, as Lewis Hamilton was behind and hoping for his first home race podium at Ferrari. Not one to back down under intense situations, Hulkenberg had enough pace to keep ahead of Hamilton, and ultimately come home to finish on that last step of the podium, something he’s been waiting for in all of his 239 race starts. This bumped the driver up to ninth in the championship with 37 points, and Kick Sauber are now in sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, 18 points behind Williams.
- McLaren Battle Closer than Ever
- Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are only 8 points apart in the Drivers’ Championship, after Norris won back to back victories in Austria and now Silverstone. The next race is in three weeks, and is the start of the second half of the 2025 season. Set in Belgium, a Sprint race is also on the schedule, which means even more points are up for grabs. Norris’ confidence may have taken a hit in Canada, however the British driver seems to have bounced back brilliantly, and may well be on his way to surpassing his teammate in the Championship. It’s all to play for!
