Lando Norris says winning the British Grand Prix is “everything I’ve ever wanted to achieve” after taking his first home Formula 1 victory.
In a dramatic, rain-hit race interrupted by two safety car periods, Norris emerged as the leader with seven laps to go after McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri had to serve a 10-second time penalty.
Championship leader Piastri had been hit with the penalty after the stewards deemed he had slowed down too much ahead of the second restart, when Max Verstappen had a scary moment as he nearly hit the back of his car.
Piastri had left for most of the race, with Norris running behind him.
The win was Norris’s first at Silverstone and the second in a row after his victory in Austria.
An emotional Norris was fully savouring the experience after the race.
“It’s beautiful. Everything I dreamed of. Everything I’ve ever wanted to achieve,” said Norris when interviewed post-race by Jenson Button.
“This is, apart from a championship, I think this is as good as it gets in terms of feelings, in terms of achievement, being proud, all of it.
“You know, this is where it all started for me, was watching, actually was watching you [Button] on TV many years ago. And now, thankfully, I’ve been able to have my go. So, yeah, incredible race, stressful as always, but the support from the fans, it made the difference today, so I gotta thank them for it all.”
Norris, now just eight points behind Piastri, said he had spent the last couple of laps trying to take it all in, despite the pressure from the Australian.
“Your mind just goes pretty blank, so everything you might think before the race you forget,” he said. “The main thing is always just don’t f**k it up, that’s rule number one.
“But you know the last few laps I was just looking into the crowd, I was just trying to take it all in, enjoy the moment because it might never happen again. I hope it does, but these are memories that I’ll bring with me forever.”
The British driver conceded the conditions had made the race one of the most stressful of his life.
