F1: Maclaren’s Lando Norris triumphs at Silverstone; Nico Hulkenberg claims P3 for Kick Sauber

In a race defined by chaos, rain, and redemption, Lando Norris claimed a long-awaited home victory at Silverstone, leading a brilliant McLaren 1-2 ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. The British Grand Prix wasn’t short on drama, but even Norris’ win had to share the spotlight with Nico Hulkenberg, who delivered a stunning drive from 19th to 3rd to claim his first-ever Formula 1 podium after 239 starts.

“This is as good as it gets apart from winning the Championship,” said Norris, clutching both the iconic gold British GP trophy and a quirky Lego replica during the celebrations. “It might never happen again… hope it does… but these are memories I’ll have forever.”

The top ten was stacked with surprises. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth once again, narrowly missing the podium after a late charge that came up short. Max Verstappen recovered from an early spin to finish fifth. Pierre Gasly snatched sixth from Lance Stroll on the final lap, followed by Albon, Alonso and Russell to round off the points.

But nothing, perhaps not even Norris’ emotional victory, got the crowd cheering louder than Hulkenberg stepping onto the podium. Dressed in Kick Sauber’s striking black and green overalls, the German was embraced by his crew and showered with chants of “Nico, Nico.” His own words summed it up best: “It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it? What a race. Crazy conditions, survival mode all race. We didn’t crack.”

The final laps saw Hulkenberg under immense pressure from Hamilton, but a flawless pit stop and gritty defence saw him hang on. “I was in denial until the last pit stop,” he said. “Then I heard we’d gapped Lewis. The pressure was intense, but we didn’t crack.”

Behind the front two, Piastri remained composed but clearly disappointed after a 10-second penalty cost him a shot at victory. The Australian maintained his dignity on the podium, saying only, “Apparently you can’t brake behind the Safety Car anymore… I’m not going to say more, I’ll get myself in trouble.”

Still, Piastri congratulated Norris warmly, understanding it wasn’t his teammate’s fault. In the cooldown room, Norris even brought in Hulkenberg’s helmet, jokingly claiming he needed it for the alcove displays. “Good for Norris to help his fellow driver out there,” observed one commentator.

And while the race began under heavy clouds and endless variables—early pit stops, slick tyre gambles, multiple virtual and full safety cars—it ended in sunshine, both literal and figurative. The fans, eventually allowed onto the track, sprinted to see the podium presentation. The crowd’s energy was infectious, with Norris raising his arms high to salute the sea of papaya and Union Jacks.

In his own words, Norris kept it simple: “The main thing is don’t **** it up. That’s rule number one.”

But perhaps it was Piastri who said it best with a wry smile: “Congrats to Nico, that’s the story.”

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