The trophies this year? They're made of... LEGO!
McLaren's Lando Norris won a compelling British Grand Prix in horrendous conditions at Silverstone.
The damp track, falling rain, and cool temperatures brought crashes, retirements and safety car periods as the field navigated a treacherous race.
It also helped deliver Nico Hulkenberg his first podium in F1 — after a record 239 races without one.
Max Verstappen had started on pole but was overtaken by McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri, then spun after a safety car restart.
Piastri was subsequently handed a 10-second penalty for braking too heavily under safety car conditions moments before Verstappen's spin, leaving his McLaren teammate Norris to win the race.
Result: 1 NOR, 2 PIA, 3 HUL, 4 HAM, 5 VER
Join the conversation: live@theathletic.com
GO FURTHER
British Grand Prix: Hülkenberg ends F1-record podium drought, Norris wins home race Getty/Lego
Say hello to the British Grand Prix trophies — made completely out of Lego!
After the success of the drivers' parade in Miami where the drivers 'raced' in F1 cars built from Lego, this is the next big 'moment' for F1 and Lego in their partnership.
The gold winner's trophy is made up of 2,717 pieces, weighs 2kg, and is modelled off the iconic RAC Trophy.
GO FURTHER
Lego built F1 trophies for the British Grand Prix. Here's how they did it Getty Images
This felt pertinent given how FP3 ended yesterday — because ahead of this weekend, Oliver Bearman spoke to our own Luke Smith about his first full season in F1.
There is no hiding how much any driver has to evolve once they own a seat in this sport, whether it's for a few weeks or several years.
Bearman is addressing all that now, including his first home grand prix this weekend where those challenges will have only ramped up again. As Bearman told Luke:
💬 'It's certainly been a big change — more exposure, more eyes on you, more questions to answer, less time focusing on the driving.
'It's difficult to be prepared for the race weekend when a lot (beforehand) is not actually spent looking at data and stuff like that.'
It's a telling conversation, and you can read it in full with the link below.
GO FURTHER
How life in F1 forced Ollie Bearman to evolve — as a driver and a person
Looks like it was fun at the Landostand during the drivers' parade… Getty Images
A key factor in Max Verstappen's pole lap yesterday was switching to a lower downforce, thinner, rear wing in his RB21 car. This made him faster down the many Silverstone straights.
But while the conventional theory is that lower downforce is good for qualifying but harder on tire wear over race stints, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella reckoned that here, with softer tires compared to 2024, this actually might not be the case:
💬 'Our belief is that there is not a great relationship between the downforce level, or the way you produce lap time, and the tire wear.
'Because you will be fast in the straights, which means actually if anything you have to push a little bit less in the corners. If you rely on lap time generated in the corners, then you do have to push the corners, (where) you may stress your tires even more.
'So, it's not clear the rear wing solution that Red Bull adopted will necessarily cause a worse situation from a tire point of view.'
If you're a Formula One fan — and you love a plethora of other sports too — there is no better place to follow all your other favourite teams, leagues and players than on The Athletic .
In soccer we've got the final stages of the Club World Cup sorted, while our tennis coverage from Wimbledon is in full flow. The Open and Ryder Cup are both on the golf agenda too.
We have the lot covered and much more besides, so make sure you're fully informed with access to our full experience.
And you're in luck — you can subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here. Patrick Iversen
My view for lunch. It has not gotten drier. Puddles on the main straight. Not pouring, but you wouldn't want to walk out there with a candle. Alex Kalinauckas
Look closely at this picture of a road car McLaren — the Speedtail, actually driven this weekend by Zak Brown — and you'll see some very dodgy parking (this was on Saturday).
But there's also a mildly interesting story behind Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris parking here at all, on the edge of the middle part of the Silverstone paddock. One of McLaren's sponsors has a hotel right on the main straight at this track and the drivers have typically stayed there during the race weekend.
And while they could walk across to the Silverstone Wing pit building, they chose to drive around the inner access roads of the track to wave to the fans — and show off the latest McLaren products.
As with many tracks, the fans line the guard rails of these roads and this approach in the past has ensured they get a glimpse of the McLaren pair at what is a home race event for one of them. Pirelli
Here are Pirelli's predicted tire strategies for the British Grand Prix — if it's a dry race! 😅
Franco Colapinto will be starting from pit lane for today's race, because Alpine changed the power unit components following his Q1 crash.
During qualifying, he lost the rear of the car at the last corner, causing a spin, a trip through the gravel, and then a collision with the barriers. Getty Images
Here is how we shape up on the grid for today's race — grid penalties included… 1: MAX VERSTAPPEN (RBR)
> 2: Oscar Piastri (MCL)
Oscar Piastri (MCL) 3: Lando Norris (MCL)
Lando Norris (MCL) > 4: George Russell (MER)
George Russell (MER) 5: Lewis Hamilton (FER)
Lewis Hamilton (FER) > 6: Charles Leclerc (FER)
Charles Leclerc (FER) 7: Fernando Alonso (AST)
Fernando Alonso (AST) > 8: Pierre Gasly (ALP)
Pierre Gasly (ALP) 9: Carlos Sainz (WIL)
Carlos Sainz (WIL) > 10: Kimi Antonelli (MER)*
Kimi Antonelli (MER)* 11: Tsunoda (RBR) / 12: Hadjar (RB)
13: Albon (WIL) / 14: Ocon (HAS)
15: Lawson (RB) / 16: Bortoleto (SAU)
17: Stroll (AST) / 18: Bearman (HAS)**
19: Hulkenberg (SAU) / 20: Colapinto (ALP)
Including *3-place and **10-place grid penalty Getty Images
These are the drivers who have come out on top in qualifying, with Max Verstappen closing in on Oscar Piastri — who had stated that one of his preseason goals was to improve his qualifying performance.
Below is how the pole positions have been shared this season, and each driver's average qualifying position (AQP)… 1: OSCAR PIASTRI (MCL) — 4 poles / 2.17 AQP
2: Max Verstappen (RBR) — 4 poles / 3.08
3: Lando Norris (MCL) — 3 poles / 3.50
4: George Russell (MER) — 1 pole / 4.33
As for those without a pole so far in 2025… 5: Charles Leclerc (FER) — 5.67
6: Lewis Hamilton (FER) — 7.00
7: Kimi Antonelli (MER) — 8.00
8: Isack Hadjar (RB) — 10.08
9: Alex Albon (WIL) — 10.17
10: Fernando Alonso (AST) — 10.75 Getty Images
So what of the qualifying patterns built up through this year — did yesterday at Silverstone signal the end for any?
In short, no.
Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda remained the only drivers yet to outqualify their current teammate this season.
Both McLaren drivers and Max Verstappen preserved their 100 percent Q3 appearance records.
Ferrari is the only other team to avoid a Q1 exit so far in 2025 — although it got nervous with Lewis Hamilton in Q1 yesterday.
Likewise Alex Albon, George Russell, and Isack Hadjar all continued to avoid a Q1 exit this season.
As for the two current drivers yet to appear in Q3 this season, it was as you were: Nico Hulkenberg having taken part in all 12 weekends, and Franco Colapinto after just five.
How many more with the Argentinian get from here? We will see. Getty Images
Here is how the 2025 intra-team battles look from qualifying this season, with today's results from Silverstone and Round 12 qualifying added into the mix… Aston Martin: ALONSO ** 12-0 Stroll
** 12-0 Stroll Mercedes: RUSSELL ** 11-1 Antonelli
** 11-1 Antonelli Red Bull: VERSTAPPEN ** 10-0 Tsunoda
** 10-0 Tsunoda Ferrari: LECLERC 8-4 Hamilton **
LECLERC 8-4 ** Racing Bulls: HADJAR ** 8-2 Lawson
** 8-2 Lawson Williams: ALBON 7-5 Sainz **
ALBON 7-5 ** McLaren: PIASTRI ** 7-5 Norris
** 7-5 Norris Haas: Ocon 6-6 Bearman **
Ocon 6-6 ** Sauber: Hulkenberg 6-6 Bortoleto **
Hulkenberg 6-6 ** Alpine: GASLY ** 5-1 Colapinto
** 5-1 Colapinto Alpine: GASLY 5-1 Doohan*
Red Bull: VERSTAPPEN 2-0 Lawson*
Racing Bulls: Tsunoda 1-1 Hadjar*
*Inactive teammate pairing; **Qualifying victor at Silverstone Getty Images
Continuing with Andrea Stella, he reckoned small changes in conditions also helped Max Verstappen unleash the best of the Red Bull package when it mattered in Q3:
💬 'The gaps are very small and Max also went out for the final lap in Q3 a few minutes later or a minute later, and here there could be a slight variation of wind that can affect one tenth here and there.
'The reason why we never rule out Max is because he is Max Verstappen. It would be extremely naive to think Max is not in the game. He gave another bit of evidence today of how quick he is, how capable he is of maximizing the potential he has available.
'We also know at these tracks where we have high speed, smooth circuits, Red Bull can do very well. So no surprise with Max, no surprise with Red Bull.' Getty Images
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella is always worth listening to.
At his written media briefing in the Silverstone paddock last night, he explained McLaren actually thought Ferrari was the bigger pole threat after its strong practice pace.
Despite his former team ultimately finishing behind the McLaren drivers and Mercedes' George Russell in Verstappen's wake in Q3, Stella said:
💬 'Looking at the lap times Ferrari has pulled off in every session, Ferrari seems to be the strongest team, probably they still are.
'It looks like the upgrades they have taken to Austria seem to have worked very well, which makes not only Silverstone interesting because of how tight the situation is at the front of the grid, but I would say also interesting for the remainder of the championship, especially with Ferrari.'
It is race day at the British Grand Prix and it should be a really exciting one.
It's been raining — the earlier Formula Three support race ended up getting red flagged because of it — but it's now dried out a bit.
I'm seeing some patches of blue sky above me, so that hopefully means we end up with a dry race — I think Max Verstappen will be wanting that.
He put in a magic lap yesterday to take pole — I just don't know how he keeps doing it, other than just pulling it out of the bag when it really matters. It's a hard task for him to defend this world title from here, but he's not going down without a fight.
Oscar Piatri and Lando Norris are starting with him at the very front, and both will be looking to get a blow in against the other.
Norris has got his own grandstand this weekend too. There are 11,000 fans at Stowe, which was previously one of the slowest selling grandstands at Silverstone. This year it sold out within 90 minutes.
Huge demand from the Lando fans — and they've got something special planned there for the formation lap, so make sure you look out for that.
The other home interest is Lewis Hamilton. He is starting P5 and said yesterday he's really happy with the progress Ferrari has made — and that without a mistake on his final lap, he probably would have been second on the grid.
Hamilton has a better chance for that first podium in red, than he's had at any time so far this season. Getty Images
For qualifying at Silverstone, F1 very nearly got the multi-team battle many had predicted in pre-season we would see for the whole 2025 campaign.
Max Verstappen unleashed another stunning lap to claim a third pole of the year at a track where the many high-speed corners play to Red Bull's car strengths. These got even better with a floor upgrade this weekend, and helped it topple the mighty McLaren squad once again this year.
McLaren was in the fight as ever, but Ferrari was also a real threat too — until Lewis Hamilton made a mistake at the final corners and lost critical time in Q3.
Don't expect this every weekend from now on. McLaren should dominate at Hungary and Zandvoort either side of the summer break, thanks to the lower average speeds and longer corners of those tracks.
But Silverstone and Spa could serve up different winners to the season's main trend. They did that in 2025 too. Getty Images
The final free practice of the weekend appeared to back-up the promise of a Ferrari challenge at Silverstone, with Charles Leclerc quickest and Lewis Hamilton further down the order only after his final flying laps were compromised.
It was a messy end to that session with a pair of red flags, and Oliver Bearman then inexplicably crashing in the pit lane entrance under those conditions.
He paid a high price for that error too, with a 10-place grid penalty — scuppering an impressive qualifying performance later in the day.
That was when Max Verstappen came good again.
There was clear improvement in his RB21 come FP3, and confidence in his voice ahead of Q1.
He then made sure his car was the last on track for the final runs in Q3, and nailed pole ahead of both McLarens and two Ferraris that appeared to lose their edge just when it mattered most. Getty Images
There were a few choice takeaways from the two hours of free practice at Silverstone on Friday.
Firstly, there was Lewis Hamilton topping the time sheets in FP1. You would normally take such events with a pinch of salt in the opening session of a weekend, but the apparent strength of the Ferrari this weekend was immediately being taken seriously across the paddock.
More familiar service was resumed come FP2, with Lando Norris out in front and with a decent buffer to the rest of the field — including his McLaren teammate and championship leader, Oscar Piastri.
However, those Ferraris were best of the rest again and while Max Verstappen continued to complain about Red Bull's performance, no one pays much attention to that these days.
And once again, Saturday would be a totally different story…
Page 2
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
20 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Trust in Riddle: Fritz credits girlfriend after Wimbledon win sets up semifinal vs. Alcaraz
LONDON — Morgan knows best, apparently. Taylor Fritz thought the motivational note he wrote to himself after losing at Wimbledon four years ago would stay private. His girlfriend, influencer Morgan Riddle, later shared it on social media. 'That note was never supposed to be public,' a smiling Fritz said after his 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) win over Karen Khachanov set up a semifinal meeting with two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
CNN
20 minutes ago
- CNN
American Amanda Anisimova ‘enjoying every step of the way' in run to Wimbledon semifinals
Once Amanda Anisimova secured her first spot in a grand slam semifinal in six years, the American sunk to the court, first to her knees, and then all the way on to the Wimbledon grass, face first. She emerged upright with a smile, and she wrapped her arms around herself, as if she was giving herself a hug. With the 6-1, 7-6(9) win against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Anisimova reached her second grand slam semifinal of her career. The other came at the French Open in 2019 back when she was 17 and a rising star – even before the emergence of fellow American Coco Gauff. 'It's been an extraordinary year for me,' Anisimova said in her on-court interview after defeating Pavlyuchenkova in Tuesday's quarterfinal round. 'So many highs. It's just been such a ride, and I've been enjoying every step of the way.' Anisimova will next face world No. 1 and three-time grand slam champion Aryna Sabalenka – setting up a big-hitting semifinal clash. Anisimova leads the head-to-head matchups with Sabalenka 5-3, though Sabalenka won their most recent encounter, in the round of 16 at the French Open in June. 'I feel like we always bring the best in each other's game, and we always raise the level when we play against each other,' Anisimova said of Sabalenka. 'But yeah, I mean, I always enjoy the challenge that she brings. I'm sure it's the same vice versa.' This year's Wimbledon run, in ways, is years in the making for the 23-year-old Anisimova – one that might not have been possible had she not taken what she has called a 'necessary' hiatus from the sport. On May 5, 2023, Anisimova announced in an Instagram post that she was taking a break from tennis, saying at the time, 'I've really been struggling with my mental health and burnout since the summer of 2022. It's become unbearable being at tennis tournaments. At this point, my priority is my mental well-being and taking a break for some time.' Anisimova, who returned to the WTA Tour in January 2024, told reporters Tuesday that it hasn't always been smooth sailing since her return to the sport. For starters, there was the task of getting her ranking back up: At the start of 2024, she was No. 442 in the world, coinciding with the extended time off she chose to take. And a year ago, Anisimova wasn't even in the Wimbledon main draw, having lost in the third round of qualifying. But in 2025, it's been clicking for the American, and she's soaring higher than ever. Anisimova, who won her third singles title of her career earlier this year at the WTA 1000 event in Doha, is at a career-high No. 12 in the world. She is guaranteed to be in the top 10 on Monday after Wimbledon. 'I think it was just more of a necessary thing to kind of reset with where I was at in my life and career-wise,' Anisimova told reporters Tuesday of her break. 'It was just something that I needed to do kind of for myself. 'Yeah, I feel like that really served me, definitely. Coming out of that break, it wasn't all upward. There were definitely some ups and downs coming out of it and getting used to the lifestyle and just being an athlete at this level. It's not easy. 'I definitely had to find my way back, really work on the fitness side, and definitely get in my hours of training. Yeah, I mean, it's been a journey. I feel like since last summer, it's really trended upwards for me. I finally found my game and my confidence.' Back in 2019, Anisimova would rise to what was then a career-high No. 21. At that year's French Open, she not only beat Sabalenka, but she also stunned Simona Halep to reach the semifinals, losing to eventual champion Ashleigh Barty. But just months after her breakthrough at Roland Garros, Anisimova suffered from a heartbreaking and shocking loss. Ahead of the US Open, her dad, who was also her coach, was found dead. She withdrew from the tournament – and went on to a mix of highs and lows in terms of results on the court for the next few years. Before announcing her break from tennis in May 2023, Anisimova's last match was an opening-round loss in Madrid in April. She wouldn't return to action until eight months later. During her time away, she took up a new hobby: art. 'I got into art when I was struggling with my mental health, and it was something that I did in my free time just to get my mind off of things,' Anisimova said Friday after the third round. 'Once I was done with my training day or had a day off, it's something I would do. 'I think before that I didn't have any hobbies or interests other than just, like, hanging out with my friends and family, so I wanted to find something that I enjoyed doing on my own. 'I feel like it's just a very good getaway for myself. I enjoy going to museums, as well, especially in different cities, specifically in Europe.' As part of her celebration after reaching the semifinals Tuesday, Anisimova went to the edge of the stands, and picked up her nephew, Jaxon, so he could join her on the court. The pair walked hand-in-hand to Anisimova's on-court interview. 'He flew in this morning, and it's his birthday on Thursday,' Anisimova said of Jaxon, who will be turning 4 years old, in her interview on court. Tuesday's match was the first he had ever seen, Anisimova told reporters. 'I'm just super grateful,' Anisimova said in her on-court interview of her sister, brother-in-law and Jaxon, 'that they flew in and got to experience this with me. It doesn't happen often. It's super special.'
New York Times
26 minutes ago
- New York Times
Wimbledon recap: Dark arts on Centre Court before Amanda Anisimova reintroduces herself
Follow The Athletic's Wimbledon coverage Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament. On day nine, the tennis dark arts hit Centre Court, a champion hit their stride, and a top prospect reintroduced themselves. How can the world No. 1 beating a player ranked outside of the world's top 100 feel so seismic? When the world No. 1 is Aryna Sabalenka and her opponent is the mind-bending Laura Siegemund. Siegemund, 37, is a master of the dark arts of tennis. This Wimbledon, she has turned her slicing, off-speed brand of the game into a devastating grass-court weapon, knocking out Australian Open champion Madison Keys en route to facing Sabalenka. Advertisement Today, she took the 27-year-old Sabalenka to the brink, several times over. Siegemund led by a set, then twice by a break in the third set. She reveled in denying Sabalenka the chance to be the protagonist — a situation in which the world No. 1 tends to unravel. Sabalenka shouted in frustration even after winning points, so irked at having to play them on somebody else's terms. But for the final few games, it always felt as if Siegemund would have to break to win the match, rather than hold. She pushed two forehand slices long as Sabalenka restored parity, despite the German having a point to lead 5-3. The Belarusian then raced through her next service game to put the pressure firmly on Siegemund for the first time. Sabalenka skipped forward to slam away a volley at the net on her second match point for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win. It sets up a semifinal against the American No. 13 seed Amanda Anisimova on Thursday. Speaking of… Charlie Eccleshare After reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in three years on Sunday night, Amanda Anisimova took about an hour to credit the person who has done almost as much as she has to get there: Shadi Soleymani, her physio (or physical therapist, as Anisimova's compatriots would say). In three months, Soleymani — who was born and raised in Sweden before studying in Canada and the United States, where she played college tennis — has become just about everything to Anisimova. Today, her charge reached the Wimbledon semifinals as she beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-1, 7-6(9). Anisimova's talent has never been in doubt. Five years ago, she seemed like a surefire bet to become one of the next great Americans. But then her father and coach, Konstantin, died of a heart attack aged 52 when she was 17. She missed half the 2023 season with burnout and has managed recurring injuries since her return at the start of 2024. Advertisement Enter Soleymani, who has helped Anisimova not cover up scar tissue with fitness work, but actually fix the scar tissue so she can train longer and harder. Anisimova, 23, was so talented early on that she did not have to work as hard as other players. But as she returns to the top of the sport, she has to be able to do that work. 'Maybe a few years ago, I wasn't doing it quite to that extent. Everything was also pretty new to me,' Anisimova said. About as new as a Wimbledon semifinal. Anisimova beat Pavlyuchenkova to set up her last-four match, where the world No. 1 Sabalenka awaits. Matt Futterman Just as last year, Carlos Alcaraz has turned first-week Wimbledon ropiness into second-week ferocity. For a second consecutive match, Alcaraz found a tennis level that pretty much no one else in the world could reach. He took apart Cameron Norrie, Britain's last man standing, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 on Centre Court in 100 minutes. It's hard to believe that this is the same player who slogged through four hours and 37 minutes of discombobulation against Fabio Fognini in the first round. But this is what Alcaraz does, and now the pattern has become pretty clear — get him early or it's unlikely you will get him at all. Frances Tiafoe nearly beat him in the third round here last year, just two points from serving out the match. Alcaraz survived and then found his form in the quarterfinals against Tommy Paul. By his own assessment, he went a little earlier this year, reaching the level he seeks during his fourth-round win over an inspired Andrey Rublev. Alcaraz won that match in four sets that should have been three. Since the first of them, it has been all business. 'This year for me is kind of different,' he said, noting that everything feels a bit slower. 'But today I just played my best match so far in the tournament. Just feeling great.' Advertisement Most ominously, Alcaraz's serve, which propelled him to the Queen's title, has reappeared with a vengeance after deserting him in the opening rounds. Who is next? Fritz, who believes grass is an 'equalizer' for gaps in ability. Late-in-a-Grand-Slam Alcaraz, a master of the grass, might have something to say about that. Matt Futterman Sometimes, all a tennis player can do is laugh. After an epic rally in their invitational doubles matchup, incredible reactions here from Mike Bryan, Bob Bryan, Tommy Haas and Feliciano Lopez when Lopez duffed what he thought would be a winner. 🎾 Iga Świątek (8) vs. Liudmila Samsonova (19) 8 a.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ Two players who have quietly moved through the draw meet. Świątek, who is retooling her game by going back in time, is the favorite, but the Russian Samsonova has been imperious on the grass thus far and has the ability to rush Świątek. 🎾 Mirra Andreeva (7) vs. Belinda Bencic 8:30 a.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ Andreeva's jazz improvisation of spins and speeds meets Bencic's unrelenting consistency, especially off her fearsome two-handed backhand. Neither player has ever reached a Wimbledon semifinal, as in Świątek's meeting with Samsonova. 🎾 Jannik Sinner (1) vs. Ben Shelton (10) Follows Świątek vs. Samsonova on ESPN/ESPN+ Whether or not this quarterfinal will be played is the first order of business. Sinner was two sets down to Grigor Dimitrov when a cruel injury saw the Bulgarian retire hurt, but Sinner himself injured his elbow and did not practice today. The American Shelton will have studied how Dimitrov troubled the world No. 1 with thunderous serves and forward pressure. 🎾 Flavio Cobolli (22) vs. Novak Djokovic (6) Follows Andreeva vs, Bencic on ESPN/ESPN+ On paper the most one-sided quarterfinal of the four: Djokovic is a seven-time champion at Wimbledon, while Cobolli, 23, has never been to this stage of a major before. But just as Dimitrov provided a template for Shelton, Alex de Minaur provided one for Cobolli: draw Djokovic into long rallies and hope for some wind. Cobolli can at least control the first part. Tell us what you noticed on the ninth day… (Top photo of Centre Court: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic)
