Lando Norris won a thrilling, rain-hit British Grand Prix, sweeping to victory after championship-leading team-mate Oscar Piastri was penalised for an infringement behind the Safety Car. The Australian was left with second place at the flag ahead of Nico Hülkenberg who rose from 19th on the grid to take his first F1 podium at the 239th attempt. 

On a wet, but rapidly drying track, the formation lap got underway behind the Safety Car and when it left the track so too did a number of drivers who pitted to swap the Intermediate tyres all had fitted for slicks. 

At lights out on the partially empty grid, polesitter Max Verstappen made a good getaway and after shrugging off a brief challenge from front row rival Piastri, the Red Bull driver settled into the lead. Behind the top two, Norris held third ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly who powered through to take P5.

However, further back there was contact between Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson and the New Zealander was bounced off track and out of the race. The VSC was swiftly deployed, and the pace froze. 

When the caution ended, Verstappen held the lead but behind the leaders another incident was unfolding. Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto crashed and though he was able to get going again he eventually had to stop on track and the VSC was deployed for a second time. 

The second neutralisation ended on lap 7 and this time Verstappen could do nothing to keep Piastri at bay and on lap 8, with the aid of DRS, the Australian swept past on the Hangar Straight to steal the lead. 

Soon afterwards, rain began to fall and struggling on “really bad inters” the Red Bull driver slid off track at Chapel and Norris swept past. Piastri pitted and he was followed by Norris and Verstappen. Norris had a slow stop, however, and Verstappen was able to get out ahead of the Briton to steal back second place. 

Piastri now led the Red Bull driver by 12 seconds, with Norris just half a second behind the Dutchman. Lance Stroll, who had started 17th and put in a brief, massively advantageous stint on Softs, rose to fourth ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg who also profit from the incidents and the conditions after starting 19th. However, with the conditions rapidly deteriorating the Safety Car was sent out on lap 14 and the race was neutralised. 

The Safety Car left the track at the end of lap 17 and Piastri controlled the restart to hold his lead ahead of Verstappen and Norris. Behind them​, Stroll and Hulkenberg maintained position. 

The Safety car was almost immediately out again, however. In heavy spray, Hadjar failed to see Kimi Antonelli ahead of him and on the way up to Copse the Racing Bulls drove into the back of the Mercedes. Remarkably, the Italian was able to carry on, despite being deprived of a rear diffuser, but Hadjar pirouetted off track and into the barriers. 

Just ahead of the Safety Car leaving the track, Piastri suddenly braked hard, dropping from 218km/h to just 52km/h. Verstappen shot past the McLaren and had to brake hard himself to allow the race leader past. The incident was quickly placed under investigation and Piastri was later handed a 10-second time penalty for erratic braking behind the SC. 

The Safety Car peeled off track at the end of lap 22 and struggling for grip in Stowe Verstappen spun off track. He rejoined in P9 and slipped to P10 as he was passed by Williams’ Carlos Sainz. 

At half distance, Piastri led his team-mate by 3.6s and Stroll was now up to third place ahead of Hülkenberg and Gasly. Behind them, Hamilton got past Russell to take P6. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso sat in P8 ahead of Sainz and Verstappen. 

On lap 35 Hülkenberg passed Stroll take P3 and soon after Hamilton muscled his way past to demote the Canadian to fifth. Further back, Verstappen was also beginning to recover, and he made his way past Sainz to take ninth place behind Alonso. 

On lap 38 the Spaniard was the first to make the move to slick tyres and he pitted from seventh. Russell was the next in. Both struggled for grip, however, with Russell spinning and rejoining and Verstappen was boosted to seventh. With the conditions steadily improving, the Dutchman passed Gasly to claim rose to sixth as he too cycled through the pits for slick tyres.  

Piastri pitted from lead on lap 44 and after serving his penalty and fitting Mediums, he rejoined in P2, ahead of Hülkenberg who was now also on Medium tyres. Norris headed in at the end of the following lap and with Medium tyres on board the Briton rejoined in a lead he would hold until the end of the race. 

Behind them McLaren pair Nico Hülkenberg took his first ever podium in his 239th race start, with Hamilton in fourth place. With two laps to go Verstappen closed right up to Stroll and when the Canadian made a slight error the Red Bull driver pounced to take P5 at the flag. Gasly also made his way ​past Stroll on the final lap to take P6. The Aston Martin driver managed to cross the line in seventh, ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon, Alonso and Russell. 

2025 FIA Formula 1 British Grand Prix – Race 
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 52 - 
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 52 6.812
3 Nico Hülkenberg Sauber/Ferrari 52 34.742
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 52 39.812
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 52 56.781
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 52 59.857
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 52 - 
8 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 52 - 
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 52 - 
10 George Russell Mercedes 52 - 
11 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 52 – 
12 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 52 - 
13 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 52 - 
14 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 52 - 
15 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull/Honda RBPT 51 - 1 lap
     Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 23 – Retirement
     Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 17 – Retirement
     Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber/Ferrari 3 – Retirement
     Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT 0 – Retirement
     Franco Colapinto Alpine/Renault 0 - Retirement