Lando Norris acknowledged the criticism aimed at him and McLaren following last weekend's British Grand Prix was justified.

The Briton was leading ahead of the final round of pit stops at Silverstone, and looking on course to close the gap on drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen.

However, eventual winner Lewis Hamilton undercut Norris, who overran his pit box after McLaren were unable to bring him in at an ideal time.

After McLaren opted for soft tyres during the race's climax, Norris was then surpassed by Verstappen, and had to settle for a third-place finish.

While the 24-year-old understands the scrutiny he and the team came under, he feels the most important thing is the way they respond at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

"No, not at all, it just depends on how you take it," he told Sky Sports. "I don't think it's unfair because you're always going to have it, that's life.

"People are going to criticise you, people are going to support you, people are going to make mistakes. We're not the only team. There have been times when Red Bull should have won and didn't and Mercedes should have won and didn't.

"At the same time, we didn't blame anyone but ourselves, and it's a tough one because it hurts when you lose your home race, you have a chance to win and those types of things.

"But it's more about how you and we as a team handled it, how we learned from it, we reviewed things, and we come back stronger this weekend and for the future races.

"So, plenty of things to learn, but I'm confident with our team. I think we always accept criticism. Especially when it's constructive, you prefer that way, but you are always going to have people who are supporting and not supporting you.

"How you use that and how you turn it into something positive is the main thing."

Having taken heart from his performance at the British Grand Prix, Barbadian Formula 2 driver Zane Maloney is even more upbeat about the prospects for the remainder of the season.

Though he failed to secure a win, Maloney registered two podium finishes for his Rodin Motorsport team at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. Those two second-place performances in the sprint and feature races, propelled Maloney back up the standings in third position on 101 points.

The 20-year-old is now 32 points behind Frenchman Isack Hadjar of Compos Racing, and 16 points adrift Estonia’s Paul Aron of Hitech Pulse-Eight, who occupies second position.

“To come away from the weekend with two P2s though, you can never complain. The only thing better is obviously Bahrain, but other than that, it’s the best weekend I’ve had in Formula 2, and I’m really happy about it,” Maloney said in an interview on the F2 website.

Still, Maloney believes the results could have been more positive had certain things gone their way.

“We struggled a bit in the sprint, but we know why looking back on it. Some things on my side, and some things that were out of our control, so we were confident going into the feature race even if it was wet.

Maloney in action (Photo: Formula Motorsport Limited).

“The feature was great. I think it was one of the best races I’ve done in a long time. Got a good start, made up three places up at turn 3, braking very late up the inside. We had great pace on the softs and the hards (tyres),” Maloney reasoned.

He continued: “I was having to push really hard to try and make the moves. I made a move on one of the Invictas I think, and then it was all about having a good pitstop.

“The team did a great stop, but unfortunately, I almost had a small crash in the pit lane, and I think that cost us the win. But after that, I had to push really hard to keep [Prema Racing driver] Ollie [Bearman of Great Britain] behind, killed the tyres a bit too much and struggled a bit at the end.”

With his next assignment being the July 19-21 Hungarian Grand Prix, Maloney believes his Rodin team are now well-placed to challenge for the Championship.

“I’ve never felt we were really out of the game to be honest. We’ve had one round that we struggled with pace in general, which was the [previous] round [in Speilberg, Austria], so to bounce back from that was amazing from the team,” Maloney declared.

“But for seven of eight rounds, we’ve been up there, on the pace and on the money, so I’m confident about the weekends to come, we just need to be focused on executing each session as well as possible. Still, somethings to improve from my side, but that’s the thing in general as a racing driver, but I think we’re back in the fight,” he added.

After Hungary, the championship will move to Belgium for July 26-28 action, followed by Italy for action from July 30 to August 1. The Azerbaijan meeting follows on September 13-15, with the November 29 to December 1 Qatar meeting, and Abu Dhabi action from December 6-8 to bring down the curtains on the season.

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

George Russell said he could have only dreamt of securing pole position at the Silverstone but realised his fantasy on Saturday afternoon. 

Russell edged Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton and McLaren's Lando Norris to claim pole position at the British Grand Prix.

For the first-time ever at Silverstone, and the first time anywhere in F1 since 1968, the front three positions on Sunday's grid will be taken up by a trio of British drivers.

Russell beat Hamilton to pole position by 0.171 seconds with Norris, second to Russell after the first laps in the final session, 0.211secs off the pace after failing to complete his second lap.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start in fourth, with Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri making up the top five. 

“What a feeling, at the start of this year I don’t think we could of even dreamt of being on pole here, one-two for me and Lewis, and Lando it’s just mega," Russell said.

"It’s down to these fans as well they give us so much energy so thank you for that.

“The car at the moment is feeling so good, it really came alive in quali and what a joy to drive around this circuit.

"We are riding this wave at the moment and I’m absolutely buzzing, but eyes on tomorrow, we’ve got a race to win and it’s going to be tight with Lando, Max is going to be fast as well but I’m so excited right now.”

It was an afternoon to forget for Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz finishing seventh-fastest behind Haas' Nico Hulkenberg, with team-mate Charles Leclerc starting in 11th. 

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll finished in eighth, with Williams driver Alex Albon and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso completing the top 10.

Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez will start at the back of the grid in 19th after spinning out in the first qualifying session. 

Top 10

1. George Russell (Mercedes) 

2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

6. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

7. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

9. Alex Albon (Williams)

10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

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.

The future of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been secured for another decade following the announcement of a new long-term deal.

Silverstone’s five-year contract with F1’s American owners Liberty Media was up for renewal this summer.

And while – unlike in previous years – the race at the Northamptonshire track owned by the British Drivers’ Racing Club was not in major doubt, Thursday’s announcement safeguards one of the jewels of the country’s sporting summer until at least 2034.

The deal is understood to be worth around £300million, or £30m per year.

A record-breaking crowd in excess of 150,000 attended last year’s Grand Prix with nearly half a million spectators passing through the gates over the course of the weekend.

F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “I am delighted to announce that the British Grand Prix will remain on the calendar for 10 more years with this agreement.

“Silverstone is an iconic venue at the heart of F1 history and as it approaches its ninth decade hosting Grands Prix, the event continues to attract fans from around the world for fantastic racing on track and the amazing fan experience off it.”

Silverstone chief executive Stuart Pringle added: “This long-term commitment reflects the importance of the British Grand Prix to Formula 1 and their acknowledgement of our ability to deliver a world-class experience.

“The cheers of support for the home teams, and particularly for the British drivers on the grid, makes the Silverstone atmosphere unique.”

The British Grand Prix has been an ever-present on the F1 calendar, dating back more than 70 years, with Silverstone staging the sport’s first world championship race.

Liberty has flirted with the idea of staging a street race in London, but a number of roadblocks have thwarted any serious progress.

Liberty has also been criticised for taking the sport away from its traditional European heartland. But the American conglomerate’s commitment to Silverstone comes just weeks after a new race in Madrid was confirmed from 2026.

The new F1 season starts in Bahrain on March 2, with Silverstone hosting the British GP on July 7.

Lando Norris described his second-placed finish at the British Grand Prix as “pretty insane” after he held off Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages at Silverstone.

Max Verstappen cruised to a sixth win in a row to extend his championship lead to 99 points in his pursuit of a hat-trick of world titles.

But the late battle between British pair Norris and Hamilton ignited the home crowd at the Northamptonshire circuit.

A safety car put Norris’ runner-up spot in doubt after McLaren elected to put him 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 countrymen at a sold-out Silverstone.

“Pretty insane,” Norris said in his post-race interview. “Thanks to the whole team who have done an amazing job.

“To put me on hard tyres, I don’t know why! It was an amazing fight with Lewis to hold him off.

“I wanted the softs. I feel like it might make a bit more sense, especially with the safety car coming out but I don’t care, I’m P2 so all good!

“Big thanks to all the British fans here supporting us. Oscar (Piastri) did an amazing job and he would have been P3 without the safety car. He deserved it.”

Piastri finished fourth in the second McLaren, ahead of Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell in fifth.

Hamilton labelled the McLaren as a “rocket ship” on his team radio and admitted he had no answer for Norris’ pace.

“Congratulations to Lando and McLaren, my family where I first started,” he said.

“To see them back up there looking so strong. That thing was rapid through the high speed corner, wow. I could not keep up!

“It’s positive for us as a team to know we are not that far away. We just need to keep pushing and we can catch those guys at the front.

“We had a good little battle there. I just didn’t have the grunt on the straights.”

Zhou Guanyu acknowledged he is lucky to be alive following his horrific crash at Silverstone last weekend.

The British Grand Prix was red-flagged on the opening lap following Alfa Romeo driver Zhou's terrifying shunt at turn one.

After George Russell's Mercedes careered into Zhou following contact with Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri, the Chinese driver's car flipped over and subsequently shot across the gravel, over the barrier and into the catch fence protecting spectators.

There was a worrying wait at Silverstone before it was confirmed the 23-year-old was not seriously hurt.

And Zhou, who is the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula One, reflected on the incident ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, for which he received an all-clear to compete on Thursday.

"I had a massive hit and flipped over, going at a very constant speed but quite fast into the gravel and I realise that I'm not getting stopped," he remembered.

"So, I tried to release myself from the steering wheel and into a very locked position, making sure I'm solid inside myself waiting for the final impact. That's what causes injury and is the big issue.

"Once I stopped, I didn't know where I was because I was upside down. Then there was some leaking, but I didn't know from where. I wasn't sure if it was my body or if it was the car!

"So, I just tried to switch the engine off. I knew if the fire started it would be difficult to get out. I don't know how I survived. But looking back, obviously the halo saved me there.

"It did not hurt, but it was very cold on my left-hand side, so I didn't know if it was blood or if I had no feeling on my left-hand side."

Zhou also paid tribute to Russell.

He did not know at the time, but the Mercedes driver stopped his car before running over to check on his counterpart, sacrificing his part in the rest of the race as a result.

"One man made conversation with me, making sure I was OK," Zhou continued.

"Looking at the pictures, seeing George jump out of the car, calling the marshals, it was very respectful and sportsmanlike. Very nice to see people like him trying to make sure everyone is safe."

Charles Leclerc has dismissed suggestions of tensions within the Ferrari camp after enduring a frustrating outing as team-mate Carlos Sainz won the British Grand Prix last week.

But the 24-year-old maintains his team could have made better decisions after he fell out of contention to finish fourth at Silverstone.

Leclerc sits third in the drivers' championship standings going into Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, trailing Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez after several underwhelming results.

The Ferrari driver has struggled since winning two of the first three races of the 2022 campaign, failing to secure a podium finish in any of his last five outings after doing so in four of his first five this season.

Leclerc had led at Silverstone before Ferrari chose not to pit him for fresh tyres during a late safety car period, allowing Sainz to clinch the first victory of his Formula One career.

Italian press reports claimed some of Leclerc's engineers subsequently refused to take part in a group photo to celebrate Sainz's win, but the Monegasque driver has told Sky Sports F1 there are no divisions within the team.

"It is a shame to see all of this type of things," Leclerc said in Austria.

"It is definitely not what is happening inside the team. We are a very united team, we've always been, and it's not these difficult races that will make it change.

"Were we disappointed after last weekend? I think we were because we were one-two, and we finished one-four, so part of the team were disappointed. But this was definitely not the reason whatsoever for not everybody being on the picture.

"Everyone was very happy for Carlos, and this is the feeling that there is inside the team.

"One of the strong points we have as team-mates and as drivers [is] a team spirit that we have in Ferrari and these things are always under control."

But Leclerc was still not entirely happy with the team's strategy last time out, adding: "There are things we could have done better.

"But we know where we did the mistakes and I hope we can grow from that.

"Me personally, there's nothing I could have done differently in a way. As a team, we have changed a few things already, just in the way of communication throughout the race, to be ready in that particular moment.

"Once a safety car is out, you need to take a decision there, and if you are not ready for that, it's tricky."

Ferrari have slipped to a distant second in the constructors' standings after Red Bull recorded three one-twos in the last seven races, Verstappen claiming six victories in that time.

George Russell says Formula One must learn lessons from the "scary" Zhou Guanyu crash that overshadowed Sunday's British Grand Prix.

The race at Silverstone was red flagged early on after Russell was clipped by Pierre Gasly on the first corner and subsequently caught Zhou.

Zhou's Alfa Romeo flipped over, rolled numerous times and only stopped when hitting the safety barrier in front of the spectators.

The 23-year-old was stuck upside down in the car due to being wedged below the fence, with safety crews struggling to reach him as the race was delayed by an hour.

While Zhou later provided an update to confirm he was "okay", Russell hopes governing body the FIA will thoroughly investigate the incident so a repeat can be avoided.

"Firstly, I'm glad to see Zhou's okay," Russell said. "It was an incredibly scary incident, not just for him but for everyone in the crowd as well. It's never nice to see.

"It was horrible. In that position he was stuck there, with nothing he could have done. We need to have a think to avoid a car being stuck in such a fine gap.

"The space between the barriers and the metal fence and he was just stuck in there, nowhere to go. Yeah, something to learn…"

Zhou, who is debuting this season in F1, was taken to a nearby hospital for checks and released later on Sunday.

He put his lucky escape down to the halo head-protection device that has been used since 2018.

"It was a big crash and I'm glad I'm okay," he said. "The marshals and the medical team at the track were fantastic with their quick response.

"I also owe my thanks to the FIA and Formula 1 for all the work they have done, and they keep doing, to improve the safety of our cars.

"The halo saved me, and it goes to show that every step we take in improving our cars has real, valuable results."

Williams driver Alex Albon also required medical attention following a separate incident in the early throes of an action-packed race that was won by Carlos Sainz.

Albon was catapulted into the pit wall after being rammed by Sebastian Vettel, though like Zhou he escaped without any physical injuries.

"I'm very glad that everyone else involved in the first-lap incident is okay," he said. "Thank you to the medical staff at the track and Coventry hospital.

"It's a shame the race ended before it began today but we are already fully focused on Austria [this coming weekend]. Bring on the next one."

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto insists there is nothing to fix internally with Charles Leclerc, after he dropped from first to fourth while team-mate Carlos Sainz won Sunday's British Grand Prix.

At the race's conclusion, Binotto briefly addressed a visibly disappointed Leclerc in parc ferme, whose pace dropped off on degrading hard tyres following a safety car with 14 laps remaining.

Leading the race at that point, Leclerc noted over the radio that it would be "hard" to keep the chasing pack on soft tyres behind him, but Ferrari opted to keep him out while bringing Sainz in for a set of soft tyres.

Asked about the exchange, Binotto sought to clarify the exchange was more to congratulate Leclerc on his drive and overall pace given the circumstances.

"There is nothing to sort out internally," he told Sky Sports. "I think it was simply to tell him 'I understand your disappointment but you did a fantastic race today.' Fighting at the start, fighting later on when he was on the hards and the others were on softs.

"I think the way he was driving there to take positions was amazing, so being happy is difficult, but staying calm and being positive is important.

"For us it was clear not stopping Charles, keeping track position and stopping Carlos because he was the only one who could have stopped. We were hoping for more tyre degradation on the softs, and that didn't happen."

Despite Leclerc besting him for pace in the earlier stages of the race as Red Bull's Max Verstappen surrendered the lead, Sainz capitalised with his soft tyres after the restart for his maiden race win in Formula One.

After taking pole position in similarly volatile circumstances on Saturday at Silverstone, Binotto complimented the 27-year-old for his consistency and ability to be in position to take advantage.

"I think that's the strength of Carlos, no?" he said. "Always trying to be there and get the opportunity. Yesterday, in qualifying maybe the other two made small mistakes but he did a consistent lap and made the pole.

"That's his strength, to be consistent to the end, to the chequered flag and get the opportunity when the opportunity is coming. For him, I'm really very happy because it's his first victory.

"I think, one, that was important for him and with Ferrari it's even more important. So, I'm very pleased and I think he deserved it."

Max Verstappen says his Red Bull felt like it was "falling apart" in a frustrating day for the Formula One championship leader at Silverstone.

Verstappen took the lead from pole sitter Carlos Sainz after the Ferrari driver made an unforced error and went wide, but his advantage lasted just a few laps after then suffering structural damage.

The defending champion ran over a piece of debris and believed he had suffered a puncture, but a pit stop did not solve the problem and it was later revealed he had sustained significant structural damage to the floor of his Red Bull.

That left Verstappen unable to fight his way up the order and instead had to see off pressure from Haas driver Mick Schumacher, who secured a first points finish in F1, and the Dutch ace says the incident "destroyed" the side of his car.

"I'd just gone into the lead because of Carlos' 'moment' and then a few corners later, there was a piece of debris on the racing line," he told Sky Sports.

"As soon as I arrived there [on the line], I could not drastically turn left or right, so I tried to hit it head on. Normally, it would just get pushed away, but this time it went in my floor and destroyed the whole left-hand side of my floor.

"Within two corners, I felt like the car was falling apart. I thought initially I had a puncture, which was not the case, but even after that the car was a handful to drive."

The issues saw Verstappen's lead over team-mate Sergio Perez in the championship drop to 34 points, with the Mexican driver coming second, but Verstappen believes the result was still a positive one after the issues he sustained.

"I think overall to finish seventh with that car, it was still a good result. It's better than zero points that's for sure," he added.