--- title: "Verstappen Wins 2023 F1 British GP, Lando Norris Shines" description: "Verstappen once again won the 2023 F1 British GP but it was Lando Norris, with his McLaren, who stole the show." date: "2023-07-09" modified: "2023-07-09" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/verstappen-wins-british-gp-norris-shines" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # Verstappen Wins 2023 F1 British GP, Lando Norris Shines ![]() *Norris leading Verstappen early on | Getty Images* The surprise of the 2023[ Formula 1]() British grand prix weekend was [McLaren](), as its drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri qualified second and third on the grid, respectively. Predictably, Red Bull's Max Verstappen started the race in pole position. However, Norris jumped ahead of Verstappen at the start of the race, which is the first time a McLaren driver led at Silverstone since Lewis Hamilton more than a decade ago. Norris led Verstappen for a few laps, showing off not only his impressive driving but also the new aerodynamic improvements of his McLaren. While Norris's lead only lasted a few laps—which is admittedly longer than most people ever lead Verstappen—his driving impressed everyone watching even after Verstappen retook his usual first place spot. It was enough to earn Norris Driver of the Day. ![]() **Verstappen once again leading Norris | Getty Images** After a long safety car, with only 13 laps to go, every team swapped onto fresh tires. Norris had to try and catch an impossibly quick Verstappen, while defending a hard-charging Lewis Hamilton. While he never really managed to close the three-or-so second gap from Verstappen, Norris masterfully defended his second place position from Hamilton. And he did so one fresh hard compound tires, while both Verstappen and Hamilton were both on scrubbed soft compound tires, which gave them an advantage right after the green flag. Hamilton also had himself a helluva day. He started seventh on the grid, left the track a bit early on, but still finished in third, putting two British drivers on the podium in their home race. This was one of the more exciting GPs of the season and a sign of good things to come. While Verstappen almost certainly has the driver's championship title locked up already, it's always fun seeing new challengers. Earlier this year it was [Fernando Alons]()o in his newly revamped Aston Martin. However, Alonso and company have fallen off in recent weeks. Hopefully, for the sake of F1 fans, McLaren's newly updated aero package, and Norris's recently impressive driving, can continue to keep the two challenging the dominant Red Bulls. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()