Rain, safety cars, retirements, thrilling battles, and a sensational podium – the British Grand Prix had it all. Formula 1 has the weather gods to thank for a sizzling Sunday at Silverstone; without the sudden downpours, it would undoubtedly have been far less exciting. The international media are still basking in the afterglow of the British GP, particularly Nico Hülkenberg‘s podium finish – race winner Lando Norris takes a figurative second place.
In Germany, all eyes were naturally on Nico Hülkenberg. The Sauber veteran claimed his first podium finish in his 239th Grand Prix. He was the first German on the podium since Sebastian Vettel drove his Aston Martin to second place in Azerbaijan in 2021. Consequently, BILD refers to it as a ‘historic’ moment. “Lando Norris won the race, but Nico Hülkenberg is the real winner!”, says the German outlet. “Never before has a driver had to wait so long for a top-three finish!”
“Hülkenberg started from P19 after a failed qualification. But in the rain and chaos, Sauber excelled with a top strategy, and the German drove a perfect race. He has long been considered one of the best drivers in Formula 1, but now he has finally broken the ‘podium curse’! Norris’s home victory is almost overshadowed by this. The McLaren star crossed the finish line first, ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri.”
The British BBC scrutinizes the incident between Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. The Australian is said to have braked too hard behind the safety car and received a hefty 10-second time penalty. As a result, he saw the win slip through his fingers. It didn’t help Max, who spun at the restart and fell far back in the field. “Verstappen seemed to be distracted by what had happened a few seconds earlier,” the Brits say. “Piastri slowed down on the straight. Verstappen, who had partially poor visibility due to the wet conditions, briefly overtook the Australian and complained over the radio that Piastri had suddenly braked.”
“It reminded us of an incident during the GP of Canada when Red Bull protested a similar action by race winner George Russell,” added the BBC. “This time, however, the stewards judged that Piastri had broken a rule.” The McLaren driver eventually crossed the finish line in second place, behind teammate and home hero Lando Norris. Verstappen’s title chances are now said to be ‘smaller than ever’: “He fought his way back to fifth place, but is now 69 points behind Piastri.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Perspective
La Gazzetta dello Sport observed how Lando Norris capitalized on his teammate’s mistakes and, with a bit of luck, won his home race. “An important – and somewhat fortunate – victory for the Brit, who drove a flawless race despite the challenging conditions,” praised the Italians, who enjoyed the ‘completely crazy’ weather in Silverstone. They also spoke of a ‘heroic’ Hülkenberg, although they would probably have also granted Ferrari a place on the podium. “However, Lewis Hamilton‘s impressive streak came to an end, as he failed to make the podium at Silverstone for the first time in years. The seven-time world champion still drove a solid race,” concluded the pink sports newspaper optimistically.
Marca’s Anticipation for the Second Half of the Season
At the Spanish Marca, they are gearing up for the second half of the season and the title fight between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. “Despite there being only two title contenders, a beautiful climax awaits us,” said the Spanish editor on duty. “After another brilliant one-two for McLaren, Lando Norris completed his resurgence for his beloved home crowd. He was a prophet in his own country, staying ahead of a cheeky Oscar Piastri. An unexpected maneuver earned him a 10-second penalty, allowing Norris to claim first place. He wants the title. Nico Hülkenberg joined them on the podium, not because he was lucky, but because he had worked extremely hard.”
