Lando Norris: « It was an incredible day »
This home podium could almost taste like a victory for Lando Norris. The improvements made by McLaren seem to be working perfectly.
Despite struggling during the practice sessions, Lando Norris did not express full satisfaction with the improvements made to his car. However, it did not prevent him from shining in qualifying, challenging Max Verstappen and securing the second fastest time in Q3. While his chances of victory were slim, there was no doubt that Norris would give his all in front of a crowd fully supporting him.
While Verstappen was stumbling, Lando Norris made a fantastic start to take the lead position in the very first lap. The roar of the fans in the stands was louder than the sound of the engines. He managed to hold off the championship leader for 5 laps before falling victim to the DRS of the Austrian car. Despite maintaining a strong pace compared to the drivers behind him, there was no match between him and the unbeatable one this season. Thus, the gap was 2 seconds in the 12th lap, 3 seconds in the 15th, 4 seconds in the 20th before increasing to 5 seconds 2 loops later.
Having no more new tires in stock, the British had to put on white-striped tires while his rival of the day had the luxury of being able to choose the softest tires. From that moment on, victory had become almost unattainable. Now, he had to focus on a completely different threat, that of Lewis Hamilton, also equipped with soft tires. The two compatriots offered their fans a beautiful duel. Not used to finding himself so high in the hierarchy, Norris made a few mistakes. Like on the 40th lap where he wide-opened the door in the Luffield corner. He made up for it by valiantly defending his position as he approached Copse.
First, I want to thank the entire team who did an outstanding job. None of this would have been possible without their hard work. It was an incredible day. I tried to prolong my battle with Max as long as possible but he was simply too fast. The race is long and lonely when you’re in the middle but it’s worth it.
Although the (British anthem did not ring out at Silverstone), English fans did not hide their joy to see their new favorite cross the finish line in second position. After spending the first third of this season stuck in the midfield, Lando Norris is absolutely right to praise the work of his engineers. With this podium finish, the 7th of his career, he overtakes Esteban Ocon in the drivers’ championship and also allows his team to surpass Alpine in the constructors’ championship.
