Lando Norris reveals sole fear ahead of 'forever' McLaren moment

Lando Norris has revealed his sole fear en route to securing his place in British Grand Prix history he claims will stay with him forever.

At the seventh time of asking, Norris savoured success at Silverstone for the first time, leading home a McLaren one-two to close the gap at the top of the drivers' standings on team-mate Oscar Piastri to eight points.

In doing so, Norris became the 13th British driver to take the chequered flag in his home race, and the first McLaren driver to taste victory on home soil since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

On the final lap however, with victory in his sights, there was one natural thought running through his head - “Don’t do anything stupid.”

Given the wet-dry conditions of the circuit that day, Norris' thoughts were understandable, in particular, given his approach to the finish line.

"We were on slicks, and it was completely wet on the inside," said Norris, in an interview on McLaren's website to reflect on his triumph.

"I wanted to go as close to the pit wall in front of all the mechanics as possible, but it’s so easy to crash at that point."

The victory finally allowed Norris to realise a dream he had held since watching Hamilton win the 2008 British Grand Prix when he was eight years old. It was one of the seven-time F1 champion's most iconic drives, winning by 68.5 seconds in wet conditions.  

"Since that day, I have thought, 'What is it like to stand on the top step at home in front of the British fans?'" said Norris. “Dreams do come true..  

"It genuinely is the first one I watched on TV, many, many years ago - one of the best races ever, and a lot of what I remember is the fans, the cheers and the noise. Now I’ve gotten to live that. 

"[On the final lap] I was thinking of that, while at the same time, looking up at the grandstands all around the circuit, trying to take in the feeling.  

"[Winning in] Monaco was very special and cool, but I've always said the one I wanted to win more than any was Silverstone, because of the fans.   

"I wanted to really take in the atmosphere… the fans up on their feet, cheering and clapping, and now I can picture it perfectly. That is something that very few people, especially Brits at their home race, have ever gotten to feel, but I am one of them."

Norris 'emotion' means more than words

In crossing the line, Norris followed in the footsteps of not just Hamilton, but 11 other British stars - Stirling Brooks, Tony Brooks, Peter Collins, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, John Watson, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, and David Coulthard.

Although Norris conceded the list "is full of some pretty cool guys," he added: "I want to win as many races as possible, but a number won’t define my memories.

"I will always be proud that I won at Silverstone. It is the one that puts the biggest smile on my face and probably will do forever. The one memory I’ll always have with me will probably be this weekend."

Although naturally special and memorable, Norris then found it difficult to put into words what the win meant to him overall, in particular with so many family and friends in attendance - as well as those he would have liked to have been there.  

"I think the emotion shows what it means better than words," said Norris. “My mum and dad, my brother, my sisters, and my dad’s parents were all there. Having my whole family there and celebrating with them all was very special.

"I am sure my mum's parents would have been very proud. They'd have loved to have been there. I am sure they were looking down and enjoying the moment. They have all been on the journey with me.  

“My family have been by my side from the very, very beginning, so to have them all there, and to get the trophy and stand on the top step, I think it means as much to them as it does to me. 

“McLaren haven’t won this race since 2008, so to bring it back to them - and a lot of the team were there then also - was nice. It’s a good moment for the whole team.”