F1 British Grand Prix 2023 LIVE! Race stream and latest updates as Max Verstappen wins for first time

Max Verstappen delivered another crushing performance to win the British Grand Prix as Lando Norris held off Lewis Hamilton in a brilliant fight for second place.

A late safety car put Norris’ runner-up spot in doubt after McLaren elected to put the British driver on the harder, more durable tyre, rather than the speedier soft compound.

But Norris, 23, managed to keep Hamilton, 38, at bay in a tantalising battle between the two home favourites at a sold-out Silverstone.

Norris’ McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri finished fourth, one spot ahead of George Russell, with three British drivers finishing in the top five.

Verstappen’s sixth consecutive victory sees the Dutch driver move 99 points clear at the summit of the standings.

"We had a terrible start so we need to look into that," said Verstappen. "Lando and McLaren were super-quick. It took a few laps to past them and then everything was okay.

"I am very happy that we won again and 11 wins in a row for the team is incredible but it was not straightforward today."

McLaren have been desperately short of form this season but a major upgrade at the British team’s home race worked wonders.

Indeed, Norris briefly led Sunday’s 52-lap race after he gazumped pole-sitter Verstappen following a supreme start in his McLaren to cheers from the British grandstands.

It marked the first time a McLaren car has led the British Grand Prix since Hamilton led here for the Woking team in 2012.

However, Norris’ time at the top lasted only four-and-a-half laps after Verstappen, in his superior Red Bull machine, drew alongside the Briton on the Wellington Straight before making the move stick into Brooklands.

Piastri was running in third with Russell trying, but failing, to find a way past Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton started seventh but dropped to eighth at the end of the first lap before regaining the position when he nailed Fernando Alonso on lap seven.

A tedious race came alive on lap 33 when Kevin Magnussen spluttered to a halt in his Haas. Flames briefly engulfed the rear of his machine before turning to smoke.

With Magnussen’s Haas in a precarious position at the start of the Wellington Straight a full safety car was deployed and Hamilton, who had yet to pit, was the main beneficiary, turning a net seventh into third when the order shuffled out.

Verstappen and Hamilton bolted on the soft rubber, but Norris, despite pleading with his McLaren team to follow suit, was given the hard compound.

When the safety car peeled in at the end of lap 38, Norris’ mirrors were suddenly occupied with Hamilton’s black Mercedes.

Hamilton sensed his opportunity racing around the outside of Norris through Brooklands and then Luffield, only for the McLaren man to hold position.

A third chance arose for Hamilton on the run down Copse but Norris expertly defended the position, leaving Hamilton with nowhere to go.

Hamilton backed out and tried again on the following lap but Norris kept his elbows out and the elder Briton was unable to find a way past.

From there, Norris was able to keep Hamilton at arm’s length, crossing the line 2.9 sec clear of the Mercedes car.

"That McLaren is a rocket ship," said Hamilton as he crossed the line.

Piastri finished fourth on a fine afternoon for McLaren, one place ahead of Russell, with Sergio Perez sixth after he started a lowly 15th.

Alonso took the flag in seventh with Alex Albon enhancing his reputation with a fine eighth for Williams.

Verstappen crossed the line 3.7 sec clear of Norris to maintain Red Bull’s unbeaten streak this season.

F1 British Grand Prix updates

• Max Verstappen wins at Silverstone for the first time

• Full race report

• Hamilton sends classy message to McLaren after Silverstone podium

Thank you

17:54 , Jonathan Gorrie

Good evening and thank you for joining Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Max Verstappen’s win at the British Grand Prix.

Find our report and reaction below!

Hamilton sends classy message to McLaren after Silverstone podium

17:53 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lewis Hamilton said his former team McLaren were back where they belong after an impressive return to form at the British Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen was once again the runaway winner for an eighth time this season but Hamilton found himself sandwiched between the two McLarens at the chequered flag.

In truth, McLaren deserved a double podium only for Hamilton to catapult Oscar Piastri courtesy of a bonus pitstop behind the safety car on lap 34.

That meant Hamilton snuck into third behind runner-up Lando Norris, who equalled his best finish in the sport.

Read the full story here!

Norris and Hamilton delight at Silverstone as Verstappen extends lead

17:06 , Jonathan Gorrie

That Max Verstappen won an eighth race this season and his first British Grand Prix almost seemed immaterial to the 160,000 who packed into Silverstone for Sunday’s race.

Verstappen’s steady march to a third straight world title continues unabated to leave him now 99 points clear of teammate Sergio Perez. His dominance is such, he’s also leading the constructors’ championship in his own right.

But for those who made up a record weekend attendance for the British GP – 480,000 over the course of it – they briefly dared to dream of a first victory for Lando Norris.

In a McLaren which looks unrecognisable in both its shape and speed at Silverstone he got off to a flying start to lead and left Verstappen in the unfamiliar position of second in 2023.

Read Matt Majendie’s full race report here!

Nice scenes after the race

16:40 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lando Norris responds

16:33 , Jonathan Gorrie

A brilliant and much-needed day for McLaren...

MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS!

16:29 , Jonathan Gorrie

Max Verstappen wins the British Grand Prix for the first time with Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton also on the podium.

Norris clear into second

16:28 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 52: Hamilton has now given up the ghost when it comes to catching Norris.

Verstappen set to win his SIXTH race in a row.

Hamilton falls away slightly

16:21 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 47: Hamilton appears to have lost grip on his tires, trailing Norris by 2 seconds.

Through goes Perez!

16:16 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 44: Nice battle between Perez, Leclerc and Sainz sees the Mexican sail through into seventh.

Brilliant defending from Norris

16:10 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 40: Verstappen two seconds ahead now but Norris does so well to defend Hamilton on the charge as we approach Wellington straight.

SAFETY CAR OFF!

16:08 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 39: Verstappen gets away nicely as Hamilton now closes down Norris.

We’re on for a huge ending here!

Matt Majendie at Silverstone

16:05 , Jonathan Gorrie

What looked like being a procession has the scope to be an exciting finale. There’s all sorts of permutations at play. The primary one is that Max Verstappen is so much quicker than everyone else so ought to disappear into the distance once the safety car pulls in.

But there’s all sorts of different tyre permutations going on. Leader Verstappen is on the soft tyres, so too P3 man Lewis Hamilton, a grateful recipient of how the safety car played out, but teammate George Russell is on the medium rubber and the two McLarens on the hards. Should be fun to say how it plays out.

Norris not happy

16:04 , George Flood

Lap 36: Norris wants to come off the hard tyres but has been told that remains the strategy.

SAFETY CAR!

15:55 , Jonathan Gorrie

Kevin Magnussen’s Haas taken off the track with the safety car now out.

Hamilton into third!

15:52 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 31: Hamilton now up into third and Russell just overtook Charles Leclerc into eight, giving the Silverstone crowd something to shout about.

Matt Majendie at Silverstone

15:46 , Jonathan Gorrie

Alas, it doesn’t look like we’re going to get any Headingley-esque drama here at Silverstone in terms of a nailbiting finish. This has all the makings of a race for the best of the rest behind Verstappen, by no means the first time we’ve said that this season. Things might be one-sided in 2023 but word just in from Formula 1 that today’s attendance is 160,000, making it a record overall at 480,000. The bunfight to drive home should be fun.

Verstappen with a big lead over Norris

15:37 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 22: The dream could be over for Norris, with Verstappen leading by five seconds.

Matt Majendie at Silverstone

15:32 , Jonathan Gorrie

How have McLaren found this improved pace at their homw race?

Some have been suggesting their upgrades are a copycat of the Red Bull. But team boss Andrea Stella said such a comparison is unfair. Saying that, their improved pace has been enough for Mercedes to readily admitted that they might change tack once more again and be more Red Bull-esque with their sidepods.

Whatever the case, they’re currently off the McLaren’s race pace.

Max Verstappen to Red Bull

15:24 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 14: “The wind is making it difficult to drive at the moment.”

Lando Norris still trails, with Piastri just behind him.

Rain incoming

15:20 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 11: Red Bull team radio suggests some light rain will arrive in 2-3 minutes and last for around 3-4 minutes.

Esteban Ocon retires

15:19 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 10: A real shame for Ocon, who suffered front wing damage early on and has been forced to retire.

Matt Majendie at Silverstone

15:15 , Jonathan Gorrie

Ah, we have the 2023 season familiarity after all now. Verstappen gets past Norris and you hear a slight deflation from those inside Silverstone. He’s now a second clear and, unless there’s a reliability issue or else the rain comes down (it’s possible as it’s been reported nearby), you’d think it’s win No8 on the cards for the Dutchman. Interestingly, he’s never won the British Grand Prix before although did win the second of two Silverstone races in Covid times, the so called 70th Anniversary Race.

Hamilton moves into seventh

15:14 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 7: Hasn’t been a great start for Lewis Hamilton after drifting wide at the start but he’s up ahead of Fernando Alonso into seventh.

Norris and Piastri are going to attack leader Verstappen together.

Verstappen into the lead

15:11 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 5: Verstappen moves inside Norris with absolute ease to reclaim top spot.

Verstappen building

15:09 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 4: Ominous signs as Verstappen cuts Norris’s lead down to half a second.

The mighty Red Bull is edging closer and, with DRS enabled, this could be huge.

DRS enabled

15:07 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lapo 3: With two laps down, DRS is now in play.

Norris over a second clear

15:07 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 2: Norris is building a nice lead over Verstappen, albeit Red Bull do have a tendency to take a while to get going.

Matt Majendie at Silverstone

15:06 , Jonathan Gorrie

The noise is absolutely epic at Silverstone. So often F1 goes to race circuits around the world either lacking spectators or atmosphere. Not so here. The noise as Lando Norris took the lead at the start was monstrous. You get the sense, though, it’s only a matter of time before Max Verstappen gets past him with or without DRS, which comes into play very soon.

Brilliant start

15:05 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 1: Norris doing his best to hold off Verstappen after a brilliant start. Strangely, the McLaren driver looks rather comfortable.

Hamilton way down 9th after running wide.

LANDO NORRIS LEADS!

15:04 , Jonathan Gorrie

Lap 1: Silverstone erupts as Norris cuts off Verstappen into the lead!

LIGHTS OUT!

15:03 , Jonathan Gorrie

Away we go!

Dark clouds overhead

15:03 , Jonathan Gorrie

We’re away for the formation lap with dark clouds overhead, with a fully packed Silverstone on their feet.

Edging closer

14:54 , George Flood

Damian Lewis has, strangely, now sung the national anthem at Silverstone as we edge closer to the start of the race.

Here we go!

Matt Majendie at Silverstone

14:47 , Jonathan Gorrie

What of the British prospects for the race?

McLaren CEO Zac Brown had told me at the Miami Grand Prix to have patience with his then struggling team when they were near enough backmarkers. But they are P2 and P3 on the grid with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri causing a stunning surprise in qualifying.

The issue, though, is it’s hotter today than in qualifying and the suggestion is their car won’t be as kind to the tyres in these temperatures. And what of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at Mercedes.

Habitually, the Merc has had good race pace and Hamilton said it was very much his ambition to give the British fans something to dream of. And a mention of Alex Albon, who was absolutely flying in qualifying and somehow got his Williams into Q3.

Matt Majendie at Silverstone

14:41 , George Flood

The Brad Pitt film aside, there's no shortage of stardust on the grid for the race weekend. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is among those from the sporting world along with Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk, new Manchester United convert Mason Mount, and England footballers Leah Williamson and Beth Mead.

From the musical world, there's Muse, Calvin Harris and Liam Payne. Added to that, there's all manner of social media influencers that I've never heard of.

F1 ramp up security amid concerns over Just Stop Oil protests

14:27 , George Flood

The weather’s looking very good for this afternoon’s race although everyone likes to talk about Silverstone’s micro-climate and how it’s prone to very sudden changes in conditions, writes Matt Majendie.

That said, the race is set pretty fair and the stands are absolutely packed. F1 has said that 480,000 people have been through the turnstiles this weekend, which is a massive rise (79,000, in fact) on last year’s attendance.

There have been very real concerns about Just Stop Oil protesters breaking into the track. Facial recognition software has been used to target a possible watchlist, there are plain clothes police officers in the stands and Silverstone bosses are hopeful they can keep them out with the high fencing erected to protect spectators from any on-track debris.

Standard Sport’s Matt Majendie at Silverstone

14:21 , George Flood

Standard Sport’s Matt Majendie is at Silverstone this afternoon...

Formula One doesn’t lack for the Hollywood stardust at races across the world but this weekend is different with the filming of the Lewis Hamilton-produced Apple movie starring Brad Pitt.

The film, which is due to be released in 2025, has its own garage for Pitt’s ‘team’ and the cameras have been rolling on and around the track all weekend. It’s the latest push by F1 to take the sport to the next stratosphere.

Pitt took part in the drivers’ briefing and Hamilton et al seem to be relishing having him here and having the film cameras rolling.

Brad Pitt at Silverstone filming new F1 movie

14:14 , George Flood

The presence of Hollywood royalty at Silverstone is certainly causing quite a stir this weekend.

Brad Pitt is at the world-famous Northamptonshire circuit to begin filming on his upcoming - as yet untitled - Formula One-themed film produced by Apple.

Stunt drivers have been seen in adapted F2 cars this weekend, with Pitt even attending the usual drivers’ briefing on Friday.

Lewis Hamilton is a co-producer and advisor on the film.

“I think it’s one of those when you when you see a worldwide superstar for the first time, it’s quite surreal,” said George Russell.

“And then it’s only when you get to be with those individuals whether it was Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or Roger Federer, whoever we’ve been fortunate enough to meet, you recognise they’re just normal human beings.

“He was joking around and having a good time and just kind of one of the boys really. So excited to see what the movie does.”

Lewis Hamilton: McLaren boost a ‘wake-up call’ for Mercedes

13:53 , George Flood

Lewis Hamilton described McLaren’s blistering display in qualifying as a “wake-up call” for Mercedes.

The seven-time world champion is an eight-time winner at Silverstone, but will start seventh on the grid this afternoon - one place behind team-mate and fellow Briton George Russell after another tough day at the office for the Silver Arrows despite their new front wing.

“It’s not a blow. It’s just a wake-up call for us. Others are overtaking us and we need to do more,” Hamilton said of McLaren taking P2 and P3 yesterday.

Hamilton also did not begrudge his former team their stark improvements, insisting that the MCL60 is starting to resemble the Red Bull RB19 driven by Max Verstappen.

“I’m not surprised,” he said. “If you look at the car, it makes sense.

“If you just put it alongside a Red Bull, it looks very, very similar down the side, and it’s working.”

Oscar Piastri: McLaren ‘like a rocket ship'

13:31 , George Flood

Oscar Piastri said his McLaren performed like a “rocket ship” in Q2 and Q3 yesterday, having almost bowed out amid slippery conditions in Q1.

“I mean, what a qualifying session – we were almost out in Q1,” he said. “Then the car was a rocket ship in Q2 and Q3, and I feel like I put a pretty good lap together.

“It’s a massive result for the team as well, to be consistently… To have both of us up here is a mega result. Now we’ve got to try and stay there for tomorrow!

“These conditions, we do really well in them all the time. Barcelona was a similar story, Monaco, Canada as well, so we’ve had a fair few moments like that. But to pull that off in Q3 like that was a mega result.

“Obviously both of us have now got the new bits on our car and they’re working very well, so I can’t thank the team for continuing to push. From where we were at the start of the season to where we are now is a massive step in the right direction.”

Lando Norris: McLaren progress ‘pretty insane’

13:13 , George Flood

There is no doubting that McLaren have been the story of the weekend so far at Silverstone, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri flying in Q3 yesterday to seal P2 and P3 respectively in stunning fashion.

That sparked wild scenes of celebration involving CEO Zak Brown in the paddock, with the Woking-based team having benefitted from some very efficient upgrades for their home race.

Indeed, Norris was only just behind Verstappen in the end as he secured McLaren’s first front-row spot at Silverstone since Heikki Kovalainen last managed it all the way back in 2008.

"I was close! Two tenths to P1 in Q3, pretty insane," Norris told Sky Sports.

"My last lap was a good lap. I could hear Zak on the radio on the in lap which was the best thing ever. Great, I guess, from myself, but also from both of us to be second and third is pretty amazing for the whole team.

“It’s always Max! He always ruins everything for everyone! No, I’m very happy. It’s been a very special day for us.

“It makes up for everything, all the hard work we have been putting in - especially here with the new livery, home race for myself and the team. A big thanks to everyone.”

Bottas to start from back of grid after disqualification

13:02 , George Flood

Valtteri Bottas has been demoted to the very back of the grid for today’s British Grand Prix.

A miserable season for the Finnish Alfa Romeo driver has continued after he was disqualified from qualifying due to an insufficient fuel sample being left in his C43 car.

Bottas had power issues in Q1 yesterday, managing to get through to Q2 but unable to take part in the second session.

He was initially due to start 15th but will now prop up the grid, behind Zhou Guanyu, Nyck De Vries and Kevin Magnussen.

Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez also get a welcome one-place bump up the order.

“After the qualifying session today it was checked on car number 77, that a 1-litre fuel sample plus the amount of fuel that would have been consumed to drive back to the pits could be taken (technical regulations article 6.5.2). It was possible to take a 0.090 litre sample,” noted the FIA’s technical delegate.

“As the amount of fuel needed to produce a 1-litre sample plus to return the car to the garage was calculated as 2.39 litre, I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.”

British Grand Prix weather forecast

12:50 , George Flood

It has been a mixed week of weather so far at Silverstone.

Temperatures of around 22C are expected for much of the afternoon, with cloudy conditions and about a 30 per cent chance of rain falling at around 4pm - an hour into the race.

But it shouldn’t be heavy enough if it does fall to warrant any major drama.

Starting grid for British Grand Prix

12:47 , George Flood

1) Max Verstappen

2) Lando Norris

3) Oscar Piastri

4) Charles Leclerc

5) Carlos Sainz

6) George Russell

7) Lewis Hamilton

8) Alex Albon

9) Fernando Alonso

10) Pierre Gasly

11) Nico Hulkenberg

12) Lance Stroll

13) Esteban Ocon

14) Logan Sargeant

15) Sergio Perez

16) Yuki Tsunoda

17) Zhou Guanyu

18) Nyck De Vries

19) Kevin Magnussen

20) Valtteri Bottas

How to watch the F1 British Grand Prix

12:45 , George Flood

TV channel: The race will be shown live on Sky Sports and free-to-air on Channel 4 in the UK, with lights out at 3pm BST. Coverage starts at 1.30pm on both Sky Sports F1 and Channel 4.

Live stream: UK viewers will be able to watch for free online via the Channel 4 website, while Sky Sports subscribers can watch live on the Sky Go app.

Welcome to F1 British Grand Prix LIVE coverage!

12:38 , George Flood

Good afternoon and welcome to the Evening Standard’s live coverage of the 2023 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Max Verstappen is on pole once again for today’s race at the world-famous Northamptonshire circuit as the dominant championship leader and reigning world champion targets a sixth successive victory.

But this has typically not been a happy hunting ground for Verstappen or his Red Bull team over recent years, so hopefully we’ll have plenty of drama in store - not least from a rejuvenated McLaren, who stunned the paddock after upgrades to sensationally claim P2 and P3 for home favourite Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri respectively during a memorable qualifying performance on Saturday.

But Lewis Hamilton’s chances of ending his long winless streak at a track where he has had such success in the past looks virtually non-existent as he begins from seventh on the grid, one place behind Mercedes team-mate and fellow Briton George Russell.

Fans will also be keeping their eyes peeled for a certain Brad Pitt as the Hollywood superstar films scenes from his upcoming - and as yet untitled - F1 flick from Apple Movies, on which Hamilton is a producer and advisor.

It’s all going on at Silverstone today, and you can follow all the latest news and updates right here. Lights out at 3pm BST!