Lando Norris has offered a rare insight into the "very selfish moment" he experienced in winning the British Grand Prix.
McLaren driver Norris became the 13th British driver to win his home race, following in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton, Jim Clark, Nigel Mansell, David Coulthard, Sir Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss, Johnny Herbert, Damon Hill, John Watson, James Hunt, Peter Collins, and Tony Brooks.
Although Norris sounded emotional when he took the chequered flag, he is adamant there were "no tears", adding, "I tried, but no.
"When I get emotional, I don't cry, I just smile. It's pure happiness. It's pure enjoyment of the moment that you're in. I wish I could cry because I think it looks better for pictures sometimes. But no, I just smile instead."
Instead, there was an appreciation of what he had achieved, joining a list of some of the greatest British drivers to have graced F1, even if the win was tinged with a degree of controversy after team-mate Oscar Piastri was handed a 10-second time penalty for "erratic" braking behind the safety car, a punishment the Australian declared to be "pretty bad".
Despite the circumstances, it failed to take away the gloss from Norris' success and the feelings it engendered.
"This [Silverstone] is where it all started for me," said Norris. "Seeing this, having all my grandstands here, and even before the race, thinking, 'Someone's got to win, and I probably have a better chance than most. There's no reason why it can't be me'.
"I always find it hard at times to picture and be too positive before races, and never say, 'Today is going to be my day'. But I was surprisingly hopeful that I could do well, and I had the pace when I needed it.
"I've joined a long list of pretty incredible winners who have won here in the past. Most of them are Lewis! But to join him and, from a British side, to continue the reign of the British here is pretty amazing.
"And just for the fans, the last two laps, looking up at the fans and seeing them on their feet and cheering, these are moments that no one really gets, none of you guys get to witness.
"This is something that I and very few others, especially Brits, get to witness. It's a very selfish moment, but it's one of the most special, the most incredible, because it's such a rare thing that someone gets to feel, see and witness.
"For me, the best win. Maybe not the best way to win, I'm not going to say it's my best win, that's not true.
"But in terms of what it means to win here at home, the want, the desire to do it in front of my own grandstand, my family, my friends, McLaren, His Royal Highness, to win in front of all of them and to make amends for last year makes it all even more special.
"So, yep, very memorable."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back on last weekend's British Grand Prix! Oscar Piastri's costly penalty is a major talking point, as is whether Max Verstappen is now out of the F1 drivers' title fight.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Most read
In this article
Join the conversation!