F1 race results: Max Verstappen wins British GP

Despite losing the lead at the start to McLaren’s Lando Norris, Verstappen passed him after five laps and scored yet another victory – surprisingly his first with the British GP title – despite a safety car interruption.

Norris held second from a charging Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – who dropped as low as 10th on the opening lap – to make it two British drivers on the podium.

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Verstappen lost his pole position advantage on the run to Turn 1 as Norris swept past him after making a tremendous start. Verstappen held second, although Oscar Piastri (McLaren) challenged him hard into Copse Corner, ahead of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), George Russell (Mercedes, who started on soft tyres in a pack of medium-shod cars) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari). Hamilton (Mercedes) dropped to tenth after running wide at Village.

Verstappen passed Norris with DRS for the lead approaching Brooklands on lap five, as Russell attacked Leclerc for fourth and the recovering Hamilton hounded Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) for seventh. Hamilton passed him at Brooklands two laps later.

From 15th on the grid after his latest qualifying disaster, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez had to battle his way through the field, clipping Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas at The Loop as he did so. It took him until lap 17 to work his way into the top 10.

Leclerc was the first of the frontrunners to stop on lap 19, switching his mediums for hards after the threat of a rain shower passed by the track.

At half distance, Verstappen led Norris by 6s, with Piastri a further 2s back. Sainz pitted from fifth a lap later, rejoining 5s behind Leclerc.

Russell pitted from fourth on lap 29 but a slow stop meant he rejoined well behind Leclerc. But on his medium tyres, having started on softs, Russell quickly reeled in Leclerc and drove around the outside of him at Luffield on lap 31.

Kevin Magnussen’s Haas erupted in flames on the Wellington Straight, causing a virtual safety car. Leclerc pitted for mediums, losing spots to Sainz, Perez and Alex Albon’s Williams.

A full safety car was then called, with Verstappen and Hamilton going to softs, Hamilton jumping ahead of Piastri to third, but Norris went to hards.

The race restarted on lap 39 with Verstappen (used softs) leading Norris (fresh hards), Hamilton (used softs), Piastri (hards), Russell (mediums), Alonso (softs), Sainz (hards) and Perez (fresh softs).

Hamilton immediately went on the attack on Norris, who defended hard for the next two laps as Verstappen pulled well clear. Even with DRS enabled, Norris just managed to cling to his runner-up spot from Hamilton, as Piastri did likewise to hold off Russell in fourth.

Sainz lost three places to Perez, Albon and Leclerc with eight laps to go, after Perez lunged him offline into Vale. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Sainz fought mightily over the final point until Gasly suffered right-rear corner damage in a collision with Lance Stroll’s Aston.

Verstappen cruised to victory by over 3s, ahead of Norris, Hamilton, Piastri and Russell. Perez passed Alonso for sixth with five laps to go, with Alonso toiling to hold seventh from Albon, Leclerc and Sainz in the closing stages.

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