Nico Hulkenberg secures first podium and McLaren battle heats up | British Grand Prix Results 2025

Pre-race

The British weather threw a bit of a wrench in things to begin with. Unexpectedly heavy morning showers kept the track wet for the race start, adding even more uncertainty for McLaren and Red Bull ahead of lights out. This would be a preview of things to come later during the race itself.

Further back on the grid, several rookies contended with their own weekend hurdles. Former F2 Prema teammates, Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman, both had grid penalties; Antonelli was pushed back three spots for his collision with Max Verstappen in Austria, while Bearman had a 10-place grid penalty for a crash under a red flag during FP3. Franco Colapinto, meanwhile, took a pit lane start for his spin in Q1 of Qualifying, but got stuck in second gear, putting him out of the race before it even started.

Race start

All of the drivers started the formation lap on intermediate tires, banking on the track being too damp for slicks. A dry line was, however, already forming and several drivers took the risk of going into the pit before the race start for slicks.

Once it was lights out, Verstappen got a clean getaway from Oscar Piastri to maintain the lead. Norris and Lewis Hamilton put on a brilliant battle just behind them. Hamilton made several attacks, however his countryman Norris defended against all of them. 

Race

The opening lap proved to be a dramatic one thanks to contact between Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon. Lawson was pushed off the track, triggering a yellow flag, followed quickly by a Virtual Safety Car. 

The VSC ended on lap two, but just seconds later Gabriel Bortoleto found the wall, and the yellow flag was back. Bortoleto was able to move his car to the old pit exit, an easier spot for recovery, and another VSC called. 

The lower speeds under VSC were certainly a blessing for the rest of the field. The slippery track made it practically impossible to maintain any grip, and almost everyone was sliding around. The conditions made it all the easier for Piastri to make his way around Verstappen once the VSC ended to take the lead.

The rain picked up massively around lap 14, enough so for the stewards to call for a full Safety Car. But even under the slower speeds, visibility and grip continued to be extremely low. And once again, just moments after the Safety Car ended the yellow flag was waving. 

This time it was Isack Hadjar, who inadvertently rear-ended Antonelli on lap 18 under the poor visibility and spun into the wall. He was the fourth rookie out, and the Safety Car was on duty once more. (Antonelli eventually joined him, with the damage to his diffuser and rear being too much for the Mercedes to continue.)

The Safety Car allowed the field to close in, and the massive lead that Piastri had built for himself at the front diminished to nothing. With Verstappen right behind him, the pressure was on. As the Safety Car was ending, Piastri looked to suddenly slow down for a moment, enough for Verstappen to come ahead of him briefly. After investigating, the stewards deemed this erratic driving, and gave Piastri a 10-second penalty. He would serve his penalty during a pit stop for slicks towards the end of the race.

In the meantime, Hulkenberg was running in a podium position. After starting in 19th position the chaos of the race played to his favor. A few great moments of driving saw him on the tail of Lance Stroll, who had likewise made the most of everything so far. Eventually Hulkenberg went for the overtake to take hold for P3 and stayed there until the end of the race.

Checkered flag

After an intense race, incredibly harsh conditions, yellow flags and safety cars galore and a whole lot of drama, Norris got his first home win at the British Grand Prix. His teammate, Piastri, put on a valiant effort in the end, despite the massive penalty he was served, to come in P2.

But most impressively, Nico Hulkenberg secured his first ever podium finish. After 15 years in Formula 1, the drought was finally over, and the crowd roared to life to celebrate with him.

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