Weak Verstappen start hands Norris LEAD on lap 1 at Silverstone British Grand Prix

Norris tijdens FP1 op Silverstone — Photo: © LAT Images

British Grand Prix

Weak Verstappen start hands Norris LEAD on lap 1 at Silverstone British Grand Prix

Lando Norris got a stellar start at Silverstone to roars from the crowd

Lauren Sneath

Sunday 9 July 2023 16:17 Updated: 23:08

Lando Norris took an incredible lead in the first lap of the British Grand Prix, taking an aggressive stance against Max Verstappen from P2 on the grid.

Upgrades mades to the McLaren cars proved their worth at Silverstone as both papaya cars sped off the line.

Poor start from Verstappen

Verstappen did not make a strong start, leaving the McLaren to take advantage and push to P1.

The British driver sped ahead of the Red Bull in the opening seconds the race to a roar from the crowd at Silverstone as his team-mate Oscar Piastri in P3 also pushed to find a way around the Red Bull.

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Verstappen managed to take back a position from Piastri, but Norris maintained a lead of about a second after the first lap.

It bodes well for an excellent race for the newly revitalised McLarens. While the dominant Red Bull may be able to retake the lead later in the race, the upgraded British cars are enjoying an excellent weekend so far.

Hamilton runs wide

Lewis Hamilton ran off the track at the third turn, dropping to P9, while his Mercedes team-mate George Russell managed to climb to P5.

The two other British drivers on the grid have not had a strong weekend so far, and both will be hoping to climb through the ranks even as McLaren and Aston Martin show their strength in upgraded cars.