Archive July 6, 2025

Lando Norris said his first home victory at the British Grand Prix was “pure joy, pure emotion”.

The McLaren driver beat team-mate Oscar Piastri, inheriting the lead after the Australian was given a 10-second penalty for his driving before a safety-car restart.

He has narrowed the gap to leader Piastri in the drivers’ championship to eight points.

Norris said: “It’s a very selfish moment but it is one of the most special because it’s such a rare thing to feel.

“For me, the best win. Maybe not the best way to win. I’m not going to say it was my best-fought win. That’s not true.

“But in terms of what it means to win at home and in front of my own grandstand, the fans, McLaren, HRH [the Duke of Kent] is here and to have a one-two and make amends for last year makes it even more special. Very memorable. “

Norris, 25, suffered an injury to his nose while he was celebrating after the race.

He was climbing on the barriers separating the pit lane from the track, with photographers next to him. One of the photographers slipped and knocked the trophy into his nose.

It is the second nose cut he has suffered in a year – he has a scar from a cut he received from a glass during a party last summer.

Before suffering the injury, Norris said: “No tears. I tried but when I get emotional I don’t cry. I smile. It was just pure joy, pure emotion of the moment you’re in. I wish I’d cried because it looks better.

“This is where it all started for me. I saw my grandstand today and was thinking someone’s got to win today, there is no reason why it can’t be me.

“I sometimes find it difficult to be positive before races but I was surprised today that I had the pace when I needed it.

Norris spent most of the first half of the race in third, but moved up after second-placed Max Verstappen spun his Red Bull at a safety-car restart.

He then took the lead when Piastri served his penalty at his final pit stop in the closing laps.

Although Norris somewhat inherited the win, team principal Andrea Stella said: “Looking at Lando’s enthusiasm and happiness, he definitely got the full experience.

“He knew that he drove very well today and in fairness to Lando, he lost the position because of a problem on the team. He was second at some stage and he ended up from a piece of sequence third.

“So, Lando has done his job, he has done it fair and square, no faults at all of his own.

England “probably” made a mistake, according to coach Brendon McCullum, when they lost by 336 runs to India in the second Test at Edgbaston.

In the fourth innings, captain Ben Stokes preferred to chase, but that gave India a second chance to bat first, and the innings totaled 587.

From there, they had a clear lead over the game, and they won the match by winning it for 271, beating England with a score of 608.

“I believe as the game progressed, we probably considered the toss and said, “Did we miss an opportunity there?” and probably fair,” McCullum told BBC Test Match Special.

This England camp’s admission that they had made a mistake was rare, as McCullum claimed. In any circumstance, they typically continue to focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

Under Stokes and McCullum, who won four of England’s top ten fourth-innings chases, including 371 against India at Edgbaston in 2022 and 378 against India in the first Test last week.

In 10 of the 11 matches that he has won the toss in England, Stokes chose to bowl first. This is only their second successive defeat.

As we passed the five days, McCullum said, “We believed this pitch might get better to bat on as we went on,” but as we saw, it didn’t.

Stokes cited England’s inability to defeat India’s lower order in the first innings, which came back from 211-5.

No one really knows what a wicket will do, according to Stokes, and no one has a crystal ball.

We were relieved to be even five down at the end of day one because they were 211-5.

We simply couldn’t open them, they said. On that wicket, we might have had a chance to bowl them out for less than 350, which would have been a good effort.

Stokes claimed that the work of his bowlers during the match had no bearing on him. For the third Test at Lord’s, which begins on Thursday, England have added seamer Gus Atkinson to an otherwise unchanged squad that included him from the first two Tests due to a hamstring injury.

Given the quick turnaround, Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer might also play in his first Test match of the year, while Sam Cook and Jamie Cook might also be in line for the win.

Shubman Gill, the skipper of India, confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah, the star bowler, will “definitely” return to Lord’s after missing this game due to a back injury.

Akash Deep won the match flawlessly with a 10-187 overall in Bumrah’s place.

Gill said, “He bowled with such heart and skillfully with his lengths.”

It was difficult to do because he had to “move it in both directions.” He did a fantastic job for us.

Gill scored 430 runs in the first two innings, making 269 in the first and 161 in the second, which is the second-most runs scored in both innings in Test history.

His first as captain coincides with his first victory at Edgbaston, which is India’s first.

Gill, age 25, said, “I feel confident in my game, and winning the series would be a great accomplishment for us.”

Coach Brendon McCullum said England “probably” made a mistake in deciding to bowl first during their 336-run defeat by India in the second Test at Edgbaston.

Captain Ben Stokes stuck with his preferred tactic of chasing in the fourth innings but that gave India first chance to bat on the pitch and they piled up 587 in the first innings.

From there, they were in control of the match and completed victory on the final day by dismissing England for 271, having been set an effectively impossible target of 608.

“I think as the game unfolded we probably looked back on that toss and said ‘did we miss an opportunity there? ‘ and it’s probably fair,” McCullum told BBC Test Match Special.

McCullum’s words were a rare admission from this England camp that they have made an error. They usually remain steadfast in their wish to look forward rather than back and find the positives in any situation.

Four of England’s highest 10 fourth-innings chases have come under Stokes and McCullum, including 371 to win the first Test last week and 378 against India at Edgbaston in 2022.

That has influenced Stokes’ decision to bowl first in 10 of the 11 matches he has won the toss in England. This is only their second defeat when doing so.

“We thought this pitch might get better to bat on as we went through the five days but as we saw it didn’t,” McCullum said.

Rather than blame the toss, Stokes pointed to England’s inability to knock over India’s lower order in the first innings, where they recovered from 211-5.

“No-one’s got a crystal ball, no-one really knows what a wicket’s going to do,” Stokes said.

“Having them 211-5, we were happy there – even five down at the end of day one.

“We just weren’t able to bust them open. We had a chance to potentially bowl them out for under 350 on that wicket, which would have been a good effort. “

Stokes said he was not concerned by his bowlers’ toil during the match. England have responded by adding seamer Gus Atkinson, who has missed the first two Tests with a hamstring injury, to an otherwise unchanged squad for the third Test at Lord’s which starts on Thursday.

Jofra Archer might also come in for his first Test in four years after a series of injuries, while Sam Cook and Jamie Overton could also come into contention given the quick turnaround.

India captain Shubman Gill confirmed his star bowler Jasprit Bumrah will “definitely” return at Lord’s, having sat out this match to manage his return from a back injury.

In Bumrah’s place, Akash Deep took a superb 10-187 across the match.

“He bowled with so much heart and skilfully with his lengths,” Gill said.

“He moved it in both directions, which was tough to do. He was magnificent for us. “

In making 269 in the first innings and 161 in the second, Gill scored 430 runs across the Test – the second most across both innings in Test history.

The victory, India’s first at Edgbaston, is also his first as captain.

“I am feeling comfortable with my game and if we can win the series that would be a great achievement for us,” Gill, 25, said.