Norris makes Silverstone vow after again beating himself up

Lando Norris was left to regret another possible grand prix victory that slipped through his fingers on the back of a poor call.

In mixed conditions at Silverstone, Norris twice led the British Grand Prix, but as the track started to dry and the call to switch from inters to dry tyres started to be made, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes made their move.

Hamilton bravely took on the soft compound. Pitting a lap later, and two laps after Max Verstappen had opted for the hards, Norris was asked whether he preferred the mediums to cover the three-time F1 champion, or the softs to attack the seven-time king.

Norris chose softs, a decision that backfired as he failed to reel in Hamilton and was ultimately passed by Verstappen on lap 48 of 52. His third place was no recompense.

"I'm not making the right decisions," said Norris. "I blame myself today for not making some of the right decisions.

"I hate ending in this position and [for]ever having excuses for not doing a good enough job, but I'm so happy, I'm so going to enjoy it. I think we still did so many things right, so many positives.

"But especially here in Silverstone, the one place I would love for everything to go perfectly, it didn't today, but I'm good. We'll come back stronger next year and try again."

Norris - "A few too many let downs"

Norris was at least magnanimous in defeat, offering his congratulations to Hamilton for ending a wretched winless drought that goes back to the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

"That crucial decision at the end," lamented Norris again. "He [Hamilton] just did a better job on, so hats off to him and Mercedes. They deserve it.

"It was tough. It was enjoyable, it was fun, battling these guys. These tricky conditions are on a knife edge, you're risking a lot, so many things good, but a few too many let downs today.

"As a team I don't think we did quite the job we should have done, or good enough, but still lovely to be on the podium here at Silverstone."