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The flags are up, the crowds are roaring, and McLaren is coming home to race at the British Silverstone Grand Prix. It will certainly be a heartwarming moment for the team, as they witness the grandstands at full capacity for the first time in two years.
Silverstone is also home to three Formula 1 drivers, one of them being McLaren’s very own Lando Norris. The blue-eyed, curly haired fan favorite is currently the youngest driver on the grid and youngest ever in British Formula 1 history. Hailing from Somerset, England, the 21-year-old comes fresh off a podium finish in Austria. Thanks to his crafty maneuver of the MCL35M, Norris also kept Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen honest in a close battle for pole position during the qualifying round, landing McLaren a front row start for the first time in years.
“Being on the podium for the third time this season was a great feeling,” Norris said in comments shared by McLaren Racing. “It was a well-deserved result for all the hard work the entire team has put in so far this year and during an intense triple-header.”
Championed as one of Formula 1’s best young talents, Norris is quickly shedding his rookie status with a series of impressive Grand Prix performances, the likes of which have brought the McLaren Racing team to third place in the Constructor’s Championship this season.
He heads into Silverstone with 101 points under his belt, which puts him in fourth place overall. This marks a great improvement from last year’s performance, where he finished the championship season in ninth place with 97 points.
With a projected sell out of over 300,000 fans and supporters to welcome Norris and the team, all eyes are on the young star to deliver yet another captivating performance as he continues to battle it out with top contenders Mercedes and Red Bull for first place.
With Norris recently announcing an extension of his contract past 2022, many see him as the bright future of McLaren Racing.
“Racing at Silverstone is always a special occasion with it being my home race,” Norris said. “Welcoming back the British fans – in the safest way possible – will be amazing to see. I have missed them a lot especially doing two races there last year behind closed doors. Seeing the grandstands full and everything feeling a bit more normal is something I’m really looking forward to.”
Going into this Grand Prix weekend, he expressed some cautious optimism: “Hopefully, we can carry this energy [from Austria] into mine and the team’s home Grand Prix this weekend, although we need to be realistic in what we can achieve as Silverstone is a very different track. That being said, we’ll still be trying our hardest to score as many points as possible.”
Sporting a reputation for bold overtakes and a charming smile, McLaren’s other driver, Daniel Ricciardo, celebrated 10 years in F1 racing last Saturday, with 31 podiums and seven Grand Prix titles to his name. He recently joined McLaren for the 2021 Formula 1 World Championships, taking his initial test drive with the MCL35M back in February 2021 at the Silverstone racetrack. One month later, Ricciardo made his first Grand Prix appearance with McLaren at Bahrain.
At Silverstone, the 32-year-old Australian will be returning to the exact circuit where he first made his debut in F1 racing with the HRT Race Team a full decade ago. After his incredible recovery drive at the Austrian Grand Prix, which leaves him entering Silverstone in eighth place with 40 points, the team and fans hope to see him continue this momentum at the track where it all started. Ricciardo said he is excited to see the fans this weekend. “It’s been a long time coming … I think everyone has missed the noise and atmosphere that only the fans can provide.”
One of the most interesting parts of the weekend at Silverstone centers around the sprint qualifying race. It is one of three Grand Prix races this season that will use a sprint race to determine the starting grid, a qualifying format that is new for everyone this year.
“We’re looking forward to trialing the new Saturday sprint format as we continue to see the sport develop and encourage closer and exciting racing for the fans. The team has been working hard in preparation for the change to how we run a usual race weekend, with qualifying now being on Friday and a sprint race on Saturday,” said Team Principal Andreas Seidl. “The format will certainly mix things up for everyone and every team will be looking to capitalize on any opportunities.”
Following Friday’s three-round elimination session for qualifying, the Saturday sprint session will be a new format of all-out racing, where the results of this round will set the starting grid for Sunday’s race. Instead of the usual two days during which drivers battle it out, this weekend the battle will go on for three.
With a racetrack known for high speeds and sharp turns, the results from Silverstone will be a great predictor of how teams will do in the second half of the championship season.
Thanks @ChelseaP for your contribution to the Alteryx McLaren Formula 1 team blog! Excited to see people interested in the Alteryx McLaren Formula 1 team relationship.
British Grand Prix
Silverstone Circuit with it's fast paced corners, provides a thrilling circuit for the British fans to cheer on their favorite drivers. A former RAF airfield built in 1942. The circuit has many famously named turns and can be a bruiser on the tyres.
Free Practice Recap
How to read: session#, best lap time, (time behind first place time) number of laps in session, best place finish in session.
Lando Norris #4
FP1 1m27.814s (+0.779s) 26 laps 2nd
FP2 1m31.030s (+1.128s) 24 laps 6th
Daniel Ricciardo #3
FP1 1m28.211s (+1.176s) 28 laps 9th
FP2 1m31.034s (+1.132s) 23 laps 7th
Qualifying Recap
How to Read: session#, fastest lap time, best place finish in session.
Lando Norris #4
Q1 1m27.444s
Q2 1m27.220s
Q3 1m26.897s 6th
Daniel Ricciardo #3
Q1 1m27.323s
Q2 1m27.125s
Q3 1m26.899s 7th
Sprint Recap:
For the first time in Formula 1 history the new sprint format turned out to be an exciting 17 laps around the Silverstone circuit. The start of the sprint was chaotic, but both McLarens got off to a great start. The Alpine car of Fernando Alonso sneaked up into the top five past the McLarens which caused problems for both Lando and Daniel, as the Alpine was slower, letting the other cars in front get away. Once Lando and Daniel got past, they both comfortably pushed their way to a 4th and 5th place finish. This will be their starting positions for the race on Sunday. The Sprint turned out to be an exciting format. It will be interesting to see moving forward with 2 sprint tests left how teams change up strategies.
Lando Norris: 5th place
Daniel Ricciardo: 6th place
Race Recap:
An exciting day of racing at Silverstone! With the 350,000 plus fans cheering for their British drivers as they passed added to the drama filled day. Both McLarens got off to a stellar start by avoiding the wreck between the leaders which red flagged the race for a short period of time. Once the race restarted Lando Norris pushed his way into 3rd place and Daniel Ricciardo was hit by another car from behind which stalled his progress on the restart but he stayed in 5th place. McLaren tried to use pit stop strategy to keep Lando ahead of the charging Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas, but was unsuccessful and the Mercedes moved ahead of Lando. Both McLarens put themselves in a position to finish on the podium with drama happening with the lead Ferrari having computer mapping issues and Mercedes receiving a 10 second penalty for the race incident with Red Bull racing at the beginning of the race. McLaren worked hard to keep their positions, but were eventually held to 4th and 5th respectively as both Ferrari and Mercedes were able to recover from their issues. It was wonderful to see how well Lando pushed around the track and even more impressive to see Daniel fend off the 2nd Ferrari from taking his 5th spot. Both drivers for McLaren looked really good throughout the weekend. Both cars and drivers will be a formidable force as the year continues even with Ferrari showing a little more punch this weekend. It was exciting to see that McLaren is ready to take the punch and be able to punch back.
| British 2021 Podium | Points | Drivers Championship Points | Points | Constructor Championship Points | Points |
| Lewis Hamilton | 25 | Max Verstappen | 185 | Red Bull | 289 |
| Charles Leclerc | 18 | Lewis Hamilton | 177 | Mercedes | 285 |
| Valtteri Bottas | 15 | Sergio Perez | 113 | McLaren | 163 |
Next Race: Hungarian Grand Prix
Date: Sunday, August 1
Track: Hungaroring
