Lando Norris claims emotional home victory at Silverstone while teammate Piastri fumes over 10-second penalty

Lando Norris delivered a career-defining performance to win the British Grand Prix on Sunday – and not even a bloodied nose could spoil his moment of glory.

The McLaren driver, 25, was hit in the face by his winner’s trophy after a photographer stumbled while Norris celebrated near the pit wall. The impact left him with a fresh cut – a second scar to match one sustained from a glass injury last year. But minutes later, patched up with medical tape, he stood tall on the fan stage, soaking up the cheers alongside teammate Oscar Piastri and McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

Norris marked the occasion with three “shoeys” – the Australian-style celebration of drinking champagne from a racing boot – a nod to his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Brown and Piastri joined in, honouring what had been a gruelling and unforgettable Grand Prix.

Rain and sunshine took turns battering Silverstone, turning the race into a treacherous test of judgment. Both McLaren drivers delivered standout performances, but Piastri’s race unravelled after a controversial 10-second penalty handed Norris the advantage.

Piastri had been leading late in the race before being judged to have driven erratically behind the safety car, allegedly forcing Max Verstappen to take evasive action. The penalty handed Norris the win, but there was little separating the teammates all weekend.

“Eventful race,” Norris said. “It means a huge amount. Being on top in your home race is very, very special.”

The victory marked McLaren’s first at Silverstone since Lewis Hamilton’s legendary wet-weather win in 2008. A lifelong F1 fan, Norris reflected on watching Hamilton and Fernando Alonso race silver McLarens at the very same circuit. “I dreamed of that atmosphere for many years,” he said. “Today I got to live that feeling myself.”

With his family present – including his parents, grandparents, siblings and fiancée – Norris celebrated a landmark win. “More special than ever, 100%,” he said. “And a tough race to do it in as well.”

The win narrows the championship gap between Norris and Piastri to just eight points and marks his second victory in as many weeks. But Norris remains cautious about reading too much into momentum.

“You can call it momentum, but it’s still just one race at a time,” he said. “It’s exhausting, fighting for hundredths and thousandths [of a second]. Two wins don’t mean much unless I keep it going.”

For Piastri, the penalty was a bitter pill. “Apparently you can’t brake behind the safety car anymore,” he said dryly, careful not to criticise the FIA too openly. “I didn’t do anything different from my first restart. I’ll have to go back and look.”

Team principal Andrea Stella was less restrained, calling the decision “very harsh.” Piastri was penalised for braking hard just after the safety car lights were turned off – a moment when the leader is expected to maintain steady speed. But the 23-year-old Australian insisted he had done nothing reckless, and pointed to inconsistent stewarding.

Still, McLaren can take heart. Their car looked dominant throughout the weekend, and both drivers performed brilliantly under pressure. The team now heads into the second half of the season with serious title ambitions.

For Norris, the home win at Silverstone – in front of 150,000 fans and his loved ones – was the realisation of a boyhood dream. “I saw Lewis do it. Now I’ve done it too.”