Lando Norris Surprised by Podium After Intense Fight

Lando Norris admitted he was surprised that the Silverstone Sprint was better than he expected after the McLaren driver finished third behind the front two.

Norris was involved in an entertaining battle with George Russell and Max Verstappen, with positions changing several times in the early phase of the race. From that fight, Norris emerged strongest and eventually secured a Sprint podium.

Although he finished third, Norris was unable to get close to Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton at the front. The leading pair quickly broke away from the pack, leaving Norris in a more comfortable position once he escaped Russell and Verstappen.

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"I was managing quite a lot!" Norris told Sky F1. "So I'm very happy today, a very good result. Always nice to do it at Silverstone. A pleasant surprise."

The main concerns before the Sprint were super-clipping and yo-yo racing, but Norris felt the race was more enjoyable than expected. A strong launch and opening lap proved important before he came out on top in his direct fight with two major rivals.

"A good launch, good opening lap and some good battles with both George and Max. Well fought and better than I was expecting," Norris said.

Norris acknowledged that McLaren's pace was not strong enough to challenge the front two, with Antonelli and Hamilton able to pull clear quickly. However, his ability to hold position without mistakes became the key factor behind a valuable Sprint podium at the British Grand Prix.

"It wasn't like the pace was crazy strong because these guys checked out and disappeared. But the fact I could hold on and not make any mistakes was good, so very happy with today," Norris added.