Norris Goes Full Throttle at Home — Brits Cheer as He Tops Practice

Home star Lando Norris impressed home fans at Silverstone by posting the fastest time in Friday practice for the 2025 British Grand Prix, solidifying his reputation as a title contender and crowd pleaser. At the helm of a sea of packed "Landostand" flags, Norris posted a blistering 1:25.816 in FP2, 0.222 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari and new Ferrari signing Lewis Hamilton by 0.301 seconds. Practice sets up for a fight for the weekend between McLaren and Ferrari, with Norris set to build on his Austrian GP win and reduce the championship deficit.

 

Key Highlights:

 

Norris led FP2 with a 1:25.816, followed by Leclerc (Ferrari) and Hamilton (Ferrari), and McLaren teammate championship leader Oscar Piastri was fourth.

 

Max Verstappen, whose Red Bull was afflicted by understeer, was fifth, half a second behind Norris.

 

Mercedes newcomer Kimi Antonelli surprised in sixth, ahead of Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and George Russell (Mercedes).

 

Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls rounded out the top ten.

 

Ferrari's pace on more circuitous tracks indicates close competition for pole and win, and Red Bull's bad luck keeps speculation about Verstappen's future alive.

 

Prospect: With McLaren and Ferrari involved in a tight battle and Norris having a home advantage, the stage is all set for an edge-of-the-seat qualifying and race weekend. Everyone is waiting to watch if Norris is able to convert practice pace into a long-awaited British GP victory.

 

Source: ESPN, The Race, PlanetF1, Sky Sports