Despite securing a podium in the Sprint and finishing fourth in the British Grand Prix, reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris refused to get carried away after Silverstone, admitting that McLaren’s results flattered the team’s true level of performance.
While George Russell and Lewis Hamilton delighted the home crowd with second and third place behind Charles Leclerc, McLaren endured a difficult weekend despite unveiling a special livery for its home race. Throughout the event, the Woking-based team struggled to match the pace of its main rivals, particularly during Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Norris: “We scored more points than our pace deserved”
Norris managed to finish third in Saturday’s Sprint before climbing to fourth in Sunday’s race. However, the British driver benefited from Max Verstappen’s late retirement and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s suspension-related technical issue, which allowed him to recover from sixth on the grid.
Reflecting on the weekend, Norris acknowledged that McLaren had maximised every opportunity despite lacking outright pace.
“We leave Silverstone with a third place yesterday and fourth today, two results that are better than our true pace would have suggested,” Norris said, referring to the Sprint and the Grand Prix.
“There are plenty of positives we can take away. We executed everything well, our reliability was strong, and we capitalised on the mistakes of others, which is a fundamental part of racing. The support from the fans was incredible throughout the entire weekend, so I’m proud that we came away with a solid haul of points.”
Looking ahead to the Belgian Grand Prix, the reigning world champion stressed that McLaren still has significant work to do.
“Now we’ll focus on the areas where we need to improve before heading to Spa. There’s a lot of work ahead, but we’re determined to improve the package so our results better reflect our true performance.”
Oscar Piastri’s race ruined on the opening lap
Oscar Piastri, who had finished seventh in the Sprint, missed out on the points after his Grand Prix was compromised almost immediately.
The Australian driver was squeezed between the two Racing Bulls cars on the opening lap, damaging his front wing and forcing an early pit stop for repairs. The incident effectively ruined his race, with Piastri eventually finishing 11th behind the Safety Car.
“It was a difficult day. I got squeezed between two cars on the opening lap, which damaged my front wing. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much I could do, and that ruined my race,” Piastri explained.
“Our pace was a little stronger today, and the car performed better in clean air, but the contact prevented us from making the most of those advantages. The team is working hard to improve the car, especially when it comes to rear grip, so we’ll keep pushing as hard as we can. We’ll debrief and then focus on Spa.”
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