Lewis Hamilton was left surprised by the stewards' interpretation of his clash with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix last week. 

Hamilton, who finished in third at the Hungaroring to claim a 200th podium finish, was involved in an incident with the reigning world champion on lap 63 in Budapest. 

The pair made contact heading into Turn One, with the Dutchman attempting to go up the inside but in doing so locked up his front tyres, briefly sending him into the air. 

Although neither driver was penalised for the incident, the stewards suggested that the seven-time world champion could have done more to avoid the collision. 

"I was really, really surprised by it," said the Mercedes driver of the full stewards' judgement, which was issued several hours after the end of the race.

"I think already I was very relaxed about the situation and just saying 'look, it's just a racing incident, let's just move on'.

"But considering one car was in control and one car was not in control at the time - obviously when all the wheels are locked, you're not in control - and if you look at the replay at the end of the move I'm very, very far from the apex, so there's a lot of room on the right-hand side.

"So I was very, very surprised by the stewards. I don't know who typed it up but… that will be a question when I speak to them at some stage."

Verstappen, who has the opportunity to become the third driver to win four times in a row at Spa this weekend, endured a difficult race last time out. 

The Dutchman finished in fifth in Budapest and is without a win in his last four races, the last time he failed to win four meetings was back in 2020. 

His frustrations at the Hungaroring boiled over, repeatedly expressing his frustration and anger at his team's strategy and his car's performance over the radio.

"You have to be a team leader, a team member," said Hamilton. 

"Maybe not such a team leader, just always remember you are a team-mate with lots of people and you have to act like a world champion."

When asked to elaborate on that latter point, Hamilton replied: "That is a good question… Not like it was last weekend."

Hamilton, who has won the Belgium Grand Prix four times in his career, arrives at Spa full of confidence following his recent displays. 

Having endured a difficult start to the season, but three podium places in his last four races, including ending his 945-day wait for a win following a record ninth triumph at Silverstone, has seen the Brit back to his best. 

Mercedes remain fourth in the Constructor's Championship, but have closed the gap to Ferrari to 81 points, with upgrades expected on their car this weekend, including a new front wing, floor and beam wing, something that has excited Hamilton. 

"I still feel so much youth, am energised, driven and love working with the team.

"We have got some upgrades this weekend, so I can't wait to see how that feels on the track. Hopefully it's another step in the right direction and I'm excited for the next part of the season."

Lewis Hamilton labelled his clash with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix as a "racing incident" after finishing third on Sunday. 

Hamilton and Verstappen made contact coming into turn one at the Hungaroring with seven laps of the race remaining. 

The Dutchman attempted to go on the inside of his former rival to secure the final podium place, but in doing so locked up his front tyres. 

Verstappen and Hamilton made contact, with the three-time world champion briefly sent into the air and off the track as he was overtaken by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. 

The stewards swiftly placed the incident under investigation and conducted their analysis of it after the race, with the pair both escaping punishment for the collision. 

"For me it was a racing incident," Hamilton told Sky Sports. 

"Ultimately he was much quicker and he sent it. I moved a little to defend, but I left enough space on the inside and he locked up and obviously then couldn't turn.

"He came at a different trajectory and clipped my wheels. If he was under control he would have gone by."

“It’s nerve-wracking when you see the pace at which they close the gap on corners," Hamilton added of Red Bull's pace.

"You just laugh to yourself because it’s not something I can do, particularly on the last sector they were very very strong, same as the McLarens.

“I saw him coming from a long way back and he was able to brake a lot later than me, but he sent it up the inside, I stayed still and he clipped the wheel and went over, so I think it was a racing incident."

Hamilton's third-place finish saw him claim a 200th podium, the first driver in the history of the competition to reach that milestone. 

The seven-time world champion, who claimed 49 of those podium finishes with McLaren, was pleased to see his former team produce their first one-two since the Italian Grand Prix in 2021. 

“Big thanks to this amazing crowd and a huge congratulations to the McLarens with the one-two, that’s my old original family so it’s great to see," Hamilton said. 

“For us, the team have done a great job at pushing this car ultimately, we didn’t have the pace of the McLarens or of the Red Bulls but we were just able to hold on at the beginning of the race, it was very tough to hold on and make those tyres last."

Oscar Piastri claimed his first win in Formula One as Lewis Hamilton became the first driver in history to secure 200 podiums at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Piastri was handed his maiden triumph by McLaren team-mate Lando Norris with two laps remaining, with the Brit undercutting his partner in the second round of pitstops before being told to re-establish the order. 

Norris endured a difficult start at the Hungaroring, dropping two places after just one corner with Piastri and Max Verstappen passing him early on. 

But the Dutchman was forced to give the position back to Norris as he continued to squabble over the radio to the Red Bull garage. 

Hamilton was the first of the frontrunners to pit, performing a successful undercut on Verstappen. The three-time world champion then attempted to overtake Hamilton on lap 35 but went off track in the process. 

When Verstappen came close again to his rival, he attempted the overtake into turn one, but they collided, sending the Red Bull up into the air with seven laps remaining. 

After more than 20 laps of being told over team radio to give the lead back to Piastri, Norris finally obliged as McLaren secured a first one-two since 2021. 

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Verstappen made up the top five, with George Russell and Sergio Perez scoring impressive points having started towards the back of the grid.

Data Debrief: Piastri win a long time coming

Piastri's triumph saw him become the seventh different race winner this season, becoming the first Australian driver to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

McLaren secured their 10th podium of the season, the first time they have managed that many since 2012 (13). The last time McLaren finished one-two in a race was at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021. On that day, Norris was again the runner-up, this time to his former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Norris' second-placed finish earned him a 21st podium for McLaren, equalling Denny Hulme as the driver with the eighth-most podiums in the history of the British team. 

Hamilton, meanwhile, claimed a record 200th podium finish (49 with McLaren and 151 with Mercedes), becoming the first driver in F1 history to reach that milestone. 

Top 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

8. George Russell (Mercedes)

9. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 265 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 189
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 162

Constructors

1. Red Bull – 389
2. McLaren – 338
3. Ferrari – 322

Lando Norris believes there will be an eight-car challenge for pole during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday.

The Brit set the pace at practice on Friday, just edging Max Verstappen to the top of the pile as they prepare to continue their rivalry at the top of the drivers' standings.

Carlos Sainz finished third on a day when the action was interrupted following Charles Leclerc's crash, where he spun into the barriers on Turn 4.

Norris, who finished third in the British Grand Prix last time out, is aiming to get his second win of the season and admits it is tough to call who will come out on top in qualifying, especially after Mercedes' recent success.

Asked about his chances of taking pole after practice, Norris said: "From today, pretty reasonable. It was a nice lap. Today, we could get a good amount of it, but tomorrow's another day.

"I think it's close between us, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull. I feel like we have eight cars here who are going to be fighting for a pole, and even some other cars that looked very quick, like the Haas even.

"A good first day but definitely a little bit more work to do if we want to be a bit more comfortable."

Mercedes have won the last two Grand Prix, with George Russell claiming an unexpected win in Austria before Lewis Hamilton ended a three-year wait for victory with a triumph at Silverstone.

However, Hamilton, who finished seventh in the second practice session behind team-mate George Russell in fifth, was not optimistic about his chances following practice, explaining his car was struggling to cope with the heat in Budapest.

"[It] felt just as bad as it does normally when it's hot," Hamilton said. "Today's not been a good day, really.

"The car hasn't felt good setup-wise, but we think we have an idea why, and we'll just work overnight. It's not the best prep so far.

"[We made] little tweaks [in between sessions] but the car was pretty much the same. There's a particular thing that we left - that we're changing into this weekend - that we probably need to go back on.

"It's all relatively close otherwise. We couldn't do the pace that the other guys did today, but the long run, pace was pretty decent at the end."

Lewis Hamilton has declared it is "game on" for Mercedes at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix as the Silver Arrows target a third straight win.

Mercedes endured a dismal start to 2024 as the team suffered teething problems with their W15 car, but recent upgrades have led to a major upturn.

George Russell triumphed at the Austrian Grand Prix three weeks ago, before Hamilton secured a record-breaking ninth victory at the British Grand Prix a week later.

Mercedes are now just seven points adrift of second-placed Ferrari in the constructors' championship standings, and Hamilton is confident in their chances at the Hungaroring, where he has a record eight wins.

"We definitely don't want to get ahead of ourselves, that's key in our approach," Hamilton said. "But also, we're like, 'it's game on!

"We're fighting, we're chasing, and we're going to try and win as many races as George mentioned or compete for as many wins as possible.

"It may turn out this weekend that the Red Bull is still light years ahead, or the McLaren is, who knows? 

"We are united as a team and we are going to try and make sure we finish this season on a high.

"If we can lift the team up in the ladder of constructors, if we can progress – we are not too far off the drivers up ahead of us – then that will be great."

Three of the last four races have seen both Hamilton and Russell finish inside the top four, after neither of the duo managed such a finish in the first eight races of the season.

"If you told us at the start of the year we'd be fighting for three wins in a row, we wouldn't have believed it," Russell said.

"We have led the last four races since the upgrades, which is an incredible turnaround for us and everyone is super motivated."

Charles Leclerc has said he is looking forward to working with Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, something he described as an "incredible opportunity". 

Hamilton will join the Italian team at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, ending an 11-year stay with Mercedes where he has won six of his seven world titles. 

The Brit's arrival at Ferrari will be Leclerc's third team-mate in what will be his seventh year with the team, following Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz.

Leclerc is excited about the opportunity to work with the seven-time world champion, and insisted that Ferrari's move to sign Hamilton was not an indication that the Italian team are losing confidence in the 26-year-old. 

"For me, it's an incredible opportunity," Leclerc told BBC Sport. "First, to learn from the most successful driver ever. And to prove myself as well against Lewis, who is a benchmark for everybody."

"Not at all, because Ferrari is Ferrari. And they need the best drivers in their cars. So, for the benefit of Ferrari, it is completely understandable.

"For me, I don't see any negative in that, because it's Lewis Hamilton."

Hamilton has history in his sights following his record-extending ninth win at Silverstone ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. 

The 39-year-old is one podium away from becoming the first driver to reach 200 top-three finishes in the competition's history.

Leclerc said he still needs convincing that he is the faster driver compared to his incoming team-mate, saying he sees no weaknesses in Hamilton's driving despite the veteran campaigner having gone two full seasons without a win before his victory at the British Grand Prix. 

"Well, I need to be convinced that I am the fastest driver when I put the helmet on, but I am really looking forward to it, and it will be super interesting for me," said Leclerc.

"I have always said you learn from every single team-mate you have over your career. When I look at the way he drives - because we always look at each other and data - you don't really see any weaknesses. And that's where Lewis is incredible. He's only got strengths.

"So I'm really looking forward to seeing how he works with his engineers, the feedback, and all of these kinds of things, to learn and become better."

Leclerc has endured a difficult time in recent races, failing to score points at Silverstone and the Austrian Grand Prix, as many times in his previous 59 finished races, which has seen him slip to third in the Drivers' Championship.

Should Ferrari score 26 points at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, they will become the first team in history to reach the 10,000-point barrier in F1.

And despite Leclerc believes a return to the points is forthcoming under the guidance of team principal, Fred Vasseur. 

"Fred has two very big strengths which are very important in F1 and especially in a team like Ferrari, where the passion is so high that in very good moments there are lots of emotions but there are also very big emotions whenever we are going through a tough time," said Leclerc.

"In F1, you need to be as flat emotionally as possible and Fred is always a little bit the balance.

"Whenever we have very difficult moments, he helps the team to be back at a reasonable level and not be too disappointed.

"And exactly the same when we win, to not be too high and bring us back down and tell everybody we've got to work because this is only one race."

Red Bull's internal issues may hit their Formula One team down the line, so says McLaren chief Zak Brown.

While Max Verstappen remains in control of the drivers' championship, and Red Bull lead the constructors' standings, their 2024 season has been far from ideal to date.

Red Bull remain in pole on the track, but there have been issues off it as team boss Christian Horner's future appears uncertain, while lead designer Adrian Newey is leaving.

Even if they are not caught this season, McLaren chief executive Brown feels the issues will eventually catch up with Red Bull if they do not find a resolution.

And while Red Bull have scored points in each of the last 55 races, with Verstappen having seven wins this season, it was Mercedes who triumphed at the Austrian Grand Prix and Silverstone in the past two races, leaving Horner's outfit short of momentum.

Ahead of this week's Hungarian Grand Prix, Brown said: "I think the turmoil will have more of a mid to longer-term impact.

"Adrian Newey... this car was done last year, what they are racing now was done when everything was fine.

"It's more 2026 when you've got a new engine coming, what's going on with the driver front? That's where you potentially are going to see the lack of stability that appears to be there maybe come through a little bit.

"Winning holds things together and as that becomes more of a challenge for them, that's where you might see some more fractures in various relationships inside that camp."

Brown's McLaren are enjoying a fine campaign. Lando Norris, with one race win under his belt and many other near misses, sits second to Verstappen in the standings, while the team are third in the constructors' championship, just seven points behind Ferrari.

Indeed, six drivers have already tasted victory in 2024, which is the most in a single F1 season since 2012 (eight).

And Brown feels next season will be an even more intriguing battle.

"I think next year could be an epic season, right? You could have four teams fighting for the championship," he said.

"It would be naive to rule out someone who's not in the top four right now, because we do see how quickly things can change.

"Everyone has very similar technology, so there's no reason why others can't do what we've done the last year."

This weekend's race will be the 39th edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix in F1. Since its appearance on the calendar in 1986, it is one of only four races that have been held each year without interruption, along with the British Grand Prix, Italian Grand Prix and Spanish Grand Prix.

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Max Verstappen - Red Bull

Verstappen has won the last two editions of this race, and the Dutchman is aiming to become only the second driver in F1 history to win three in a row at the Hungarian Grand Prix, after Lewis Hamilton between 2018 and 2020.

But the three-time reigning champion comes into the event after finishing fifth and second in his last two outings. He has not gone three successive races without a win since 2021 and on that occasion all three victories went to Mercedes, who have won the last two races.

Is that a bad omen for Red Bull?

Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes

Hamilton celebrated his first victory since 2021 as he triumphed for Mercedes at Silverstone last time out.

The Hungarian Grand Prix has always been one of his favourite races and no driver has won it more times (eight), had more pole positions (nine), reached more podiums (11) and scored more points (271) than Hamilton at the circuit.

There is also a landmark in the offing.

Hamilton has been on the podium 199 times in his F1 career (49 with McLaren and 150 with Mercedes). His next top-three finish will see him become the first driver to finish on the podium 200 times. 

And even if Hamilton does not get a front-row placing in qualifying, do not rule him out. The last three Hungarian Grand Prix winners have not started from pole position. If this trend is repeated in 2024, it will be the second time that the winner has not started from pole position in four consecutive editions at the Hungaroring (four between 2008 and 2011).

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 255
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 171
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 150
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 146
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 124

Constructors

1. Red Bull - 373
2. Ferrari - 302
3. McLaren - 295
4. Mercedes - 221
5. Aston Martin - 68

Oliver Bearman is looking forward to learning from seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton when he arrives at Ferrari next season. 

Bearman, who came through the Ferrari Driver Academy, secured his seat on the grid in 2025 after signing with Haas ahead of the British Grand Prix. 

The 19-year-old impressed on his debut, finishing seventh for the Italian team at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix after stepping in late for Carlos Sainz. 

Hamilton secured his first victory of the season at Silverstone a week ago, ending a 945-day wait for a win, triumphing in the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time. 

The triumph win the 104th of his career, and Bearman believes that experience will prove invaluable to Ferrari.

"I think he'll bring a lot of experience to the team," Bearman told Sky Sports.

"He's won seven world championships - that's something that not many people can say.

"He'll bring a good mentality to the team, a winning mentality, but of course his talent is undeniable. He's one of the best to have ever done it."

"It's great that in some way he can share his experience with me slightly," Bearman continued.

Hamilton can set more records at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. No driver has won more races (eight), more pole positions (nine), reached more podiums (11) and scored more points (271) at the Hungaroring than Hamilton in the history of Formula 1.

The Brit is also a podium away from reaching 200 in his career (49 with McLaren and 150 with Mercedes) and would become the first driver in history to reach that milestone.

While Ferrari's driver line-up is set for at least the next couple of seasons with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc signed to multi-year deals, Bearman says his ultimate ambition is to emulate the seven-time world champion. 

"Of course, I want to win world championships, and to do that with Ferrari is my dream. They've been supporting me since 2021.

"They've seen something from me early on. They decided to trust in me, and even just to put me behind the wheel in Jeddah was a big risk from Ferrari's side.

"So that shows that they believe in me, that they trust in my capability, and of course one day I would love to win a championship, especially with Ferrari."

Bearman will make his fourth of six Practice One appearances with Haas this year in Friday's opening practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Lando Norris said he is "fed up" of making excuses despite claiming a seventh podium finish of the season at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. 

Norris started and finished the race in third place as Lewis Hamilton claimed a record-extending ninth win at Silverstone ahead of Max Verstappen in second. 

But a combination of poor tyre strategy and a slow pit stop proved to be Norris' downfall, as he fell further behind Verstappen in the driver's championship. 

Having had the fastest car in recent weeks, the McLaren driver once again failed to make that advantage count and was disappointed with his performance. 

"I'm fed up with just saying I should have done better and I should have done this and I could have done that, or whatever," Norris said. "So I don't care if it takes time.

"I don't want it to take time. I should be doing it now. We should be winning now. I should be making better decisions than what I'm making.

"So, I'm just disappointed. When it's a win in Formula One, I'm not going to settle for something less when we should have achieved it."

Despite his obvious frustration, Norris remained gracious in defeat as he praised Hamilton on his first victory since the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in 2021. 

Norris admitted the seven-time world champion's know-how on when to pit won the veteran the race and gave him the edge.

"That's just driver feel and driver knowledge of when to box, and Lewis did a better job than me on that side," Norris conceded.

Hamilton's victory saw him become the first driver in history to win in 16 different years in the competition. 

The Brit is now the 12th oldest driver to win in Formula 1 at 39 years and six months old, and set the record for the longest interval between first and last victory, both in terms of time (17 years and 27 days) and Grand Prix's (338) since Canada in 2007.

Lewis Hamilton found comfort in digging deep from "the bottom of the barrel" after doubting his ability before his historic British Grand Prix victory on Sunday.

The seven-time world champion had not triumphed in Formula One since December 2021 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but ended a 945-day wait for success with a record-extending win at Silverstone.

Mercedes driver Hamilton held off a late charge from championship leader Max Verstappen, clinching his ninth win at this event and breaking the record for the most F1 victories at a single race.

Having struggled throughout the last three years, an emotional Hamilton acknowledged the challenging period had taken its toll.

"It's so tough, I think for anyone, but the important thing is how you continue to get up and you've got to continue to dig deep even when you feel like you're at the bottom of the barrel," Hamilton told Sky Sports.

"There have definitely been days between 2021 and here where I didn't feel like I was good enough or I was going to get back to where I am today.

"But the important thing is I had great people around me, continuing to support me. My team, every time I turned up and saw them putting in the effort really encouraged me to do the same thing.

"Otherwise, my fans, when I see them around the world, they have been so supportive. So a big, big thank you to everybody."

This victory marked Hamilton's final home race as a Mercedes driver, as he prepares to join Ferrari at the end of the season.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff cut another emotional figure after a fitting farewell at Silverstone.

"Fantastic. You couldn't have written it better for our farewell at the British Grand Prix. That was great," Wolff said on Sky Sports.

"He had some difficult times recently. Then, some faultless driving in various conditions. 

"I really enjoyed us bouncing back. We were one and two for a long time in the dry. Performance-wise, it looks like we are coming back."

Mercedes' improvements have been impressive in recent weeks, and the team have now won back-to-back races for the first time since 2021 between Sao Paulo and Saudi Arabia (all three won by Hamilton).

That pair of victories are their only two this season, however, as Mercedes remain fourth in the championship, behind leaders Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren.

Lewis Hamilton ended his three-year wait for a Formula One victory after claiming a record-extending ninth British Grand Prix triumph on Sunday. 

The seven-time world champion rolled back the years as he fended off a late challenge from Max Verstappen to emerge victorious.

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell started on pole before Lando Norris snatched the lead, but pitstops proved pivotal in challenging conditions at Silverstone. 

Russell's hopes of claiming back-to-back victories were dashed when a water system issue forced him to retire on lap 34. 

Verstappen, who had struggled for pace through much of a race that was hit by two separate periods of rain, came on strong in the closing stages but it proved too little, too late for the defending world champion.

It marked Hamilton's 104th victory of his glittering career, and his first triumph since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix back in December 2021, ending a 945-day period without success.

Norris continued his pursuit of Verstappen in the driver's championship as he claimed the final podium place, with his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in fourth.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz finished in fifth as Nico Hulkenburg impressed again for Haas, finishing a place behind. 

Data Debrief: Hamilton silver patch at Silverstone continued

Hamilton achieved a remarkable feat with this victory, surpassing his own eight-win record in Hungary and Michael Schumacher (also eight) in France for the most victories at a single event in F1 history.

Mercedes' improvements have been impressive in recent weeks, and the team have now won back-to-back races for the first time since 2021 between Sao Paulo and Saudi Arabia (all three won by Hamilton). 

Both Russell and Norris will have to wait another year to become the 36th driver to win a home Grand Prix, however, as Hamilton's silver patch at Silverstone continued. 

Though not successful for Verstappen, the championship leader still overtook Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso (both 106) for the fourth-most podium individual finishes in F1 history.

Top 10

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 255 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) –  171
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 150

Constructors

1. Red Bull – 373
2. Ferrari – 302
3. McLaren – 295

Lewis Hamilton said it was "incredible" to see home drivers take the top three places in British Grand Prix qualifying as he and George Russell led McLaren's Lando Norris.

Russell beat fellow Mercedes driver Hamilton to pole position by 0.171 seconds at Silverstone, with Norris 0.211 seconds off.

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen was fourth, damaging the floor of his Red Bull in a rain-affected first session and struggling from then on. 

Coming just one week after Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix, the result provided further evidence of a Mercedes upturn following their miserable start to the year.

The Silver Arrows have seen both of their drivers finish inside the top four places at each of the last three races, and Hamilton believes improvements to the team's car have given them a great chance of holding off Norris in Sunday's race.

"Three Brits in the top three is incredible. George did such a great job. We didn't expect to be on the front row this weekend," he told Sky Sports. 

"This is huge for our team. The car felt great, it was just about getting tyre temperatures in the right place.

"There was still time left on the table, which George managed to find. I feel really confident about the car tomorrow and I think with the conditions, we can work together to keep Lando behind."

Norris, who has seven podium finishes in the last nine races, was full of praise for Mercedes but admitted he had failed to hit the heights of recent weeks.

"It's tough. I think George and Lewis did a great job. For two cars to get there shows the team were also doing an amazing job," he said.

"It was super close. I think if I'd put in a good enough lap it was close and could've been a bit of a fight.

"But this team have been very quick all weekend, since FP1. We're there or thereabouts, but I just didn't deliver it today."

Lewis Hamilton acknowledged "anything's possible" but dismissed speculation surrounding his interest in buying MotoGP team Gresni.

The seven-time world champion has spoken of his desire for further involvement in sports teams in order to boost black ownership and equity.

Hamilton joined the ownership structure of NFL franchise Denver Broncos in 2022 - the same year he was part of an unsuccessful bid to buy Premier League side Chelsea.

Reports in British and Italian media have suggested he is looking to invest in MotoGP - a sport close to his heart having once taken part in a sponsored swap of machinery with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.

However, Hamilton revealed it is a potential avenue he will explore further down the line.

"I've always loved MotoGP," he told reporters ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix. "I'm interested in the potential growth of the sport, but I haven't looked that far into it just yet.

"But anything's possible. I'm definitely interested in equity and already with the Broncos, it was a first step in team ownership. I think over the next five to 10 years, there'll hopefully be more. We'll see where."

Lando Norris drew a line under his collision with Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix as he looked ahead to their next battle at the British Grand Prix this weekend.

Norris was forced to retire from the race at the Red Bull Ring after a collision with the Dutchman late on, allowing George Russell to swoop in and claim the win. 

Verstappen was able to finish fifth, further extending his lead at the top of the driver's championship to 81 points over Norris in second. 

The McLaren driver was visibly upset about the incident shortly after the race, but is excited to get back on the track to challenge Verstappen once again. 

"It's clear how he races. It's tough, it's on the limit. It's what we love, it's what I love," Norris said.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the whole fight I had with him. Of course it was a shame things ended the way they did.

"But apart from that, things are clear from what you see on TV and I'm excited to go racing again this weekend."

With all eyes firmly fixed on a new blossoming rivalry in F1, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was keen to steer clear of the situation. 

Hamilton, who has enjoyed many battles with Verstappen over the years, is focused on delivering a first win since December 2021 for Mercedes. 

"Nothing really. I didn't think anything," Hamilton said on the situation between the two championship leaders.

"I was more concerned about my race and enjoying the team's win."

Asked if he had any advice for Norris about racing Verstappen, Hamilton said: "Again, I don't think I need to. They have raced each other for many years.

"It's nothing to do with me."

Should Hamilton emerge victorious at Silverstone, he would become the driver with the most wins in a single Grand Prix in F1 history (nine), surpassing the record of eight already held by the Brit in Hungary and Michael Schumacher in France. 

DRIVERS TO WATCH 

George Russell - Mercedes

Having secured his second victory in F1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, George Russell will be keen to emerge victorious once again on home soil. 

The Brit has enjoyed an impressive season thus far, finishing in the top five in each of the last four races, as many times as in the previous 15. 

Russell has also performed significantly better than Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, beating the seven-time world champion in 11 of the last 13 qualifying sessions and in nine of the last 12 races.

Mercedes have improved in recent weeks, and should Russell or Hamilton emerge victorious, it will be the first time the team has won two races in a row since 2021 between Sao Paulo and Saudi Arabia - all three won by Hamilton. 

Oscar Piastri - McLaren

While much of the attention has been on team-mate Norris in recent weeks, Oscar Piastri's performances on the track have gone under the radar. 

Piastri finished second behind Russell in Austria, but has been on the podium in two of the last four races, the other being in Monaco where he lost out to Charles Leclerc. 

The Australian sits in sixth place in the driver's championship, a point ahead of Russell and six points behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez. 

He could become just the third Australian driver to win the race after Jack Brabham and Mark Webber, and the first to claim a victory at Silverstone since Webber did so for Red Bull-Renault in 2012. 

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 237 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 156
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 150
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 135
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 118

Constructors

1. Red Bull – 355
2. Ferrari – 291
3. McLaren – 268
4. Mercedes – 196
5. Aston Martin – 58

Oliver Bearman will take a full-time seat in Formula 1 next season, having officially joined Haas.

Bearman, who finished seventh on his F1 debut for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix earlier this season, has signed a multi-year contract with Haas ahead of the 2025 campaign.

The 19-year-old will become the fourth British driver on the grid alongside Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris. 

Bearman's first appearance on the track came in March in Jeddah, replacing Carlos Sainz after the Spaniard was diagnosed with appendicitis, becoming the third-youngest driver to start an F1 race at 18 years and 305 days old.

"It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me," said Bearman.

"To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for Haas makes me so immensely proud.

"To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing that they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible.

The Ferrari reserve driver will be on track at the British Grand Prix on Friday for the first free practice session before handing the car back to Kevin Magnussen for the rest of the weekend.

Bearman is 14th in the F2 standings this season.