Oscar Piastri warned of ‘dangerous’ threat from rejuvenated Norris

Victory in the British Grand Prix has seen momentum swing back in favour of Lando Norris as he battles McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri for the Drivers’ World Championship.

That’s the assessment of Damon Hill, who believes Norris has found fresh footing on which to launch his title charge.

Damon Hill believes Lando Norris has finally found his feet in the F1 2025 title fight

Norris won his home Grand Prix from Piastri after the Australian gifted him top spot following a 10-second time penalty for a Safety Car infringement.

The Australian was leading the pack on Lap 21 of the British GP as the Safety Car lights went off just as he braked in an attempt to keep temperature in his tyres and brakes.

Deemed erratic driving by officials, the championship leader was forced to sit stationary in his pit box for 10 seconds before work could start at his final stop.

That was enough for Norris to claim the race lead, holding it through to the chequered flag as he sealed his fourth win of the season, and second in as many races.

It was a sharp turnaround after he ended the Canadian Grand Prix in the fence after tangling with Piastri, whose points advantage now stands at a mere eight.

“I think Lando’s got the momentum,” Hill told the Sky Sports F1 Show podcast.

“I think he’s found his traction. You know, he’s found his footing. So like when you’re trying to climb up a very steep hill and you can’t get traction, I think he slipped a few times.

“Now he’s just managed to get his feet to grip, and he can push off from there.”

Norris had started the F1 2025 season strongly, with victory in atrocious conditions in Melbourne. However, he was overshadowed in China while Piastri went on a run of three wins in as many races from the Bahrain Grand Prix.

During that period, there were signs that Norris was wilting under the pressure of an intra-team championship battle.

He bounced back in Monaco with a stunning qualifying lap to set up his Sunday, before a commanding weekend at the Red Bull Ring as he won the Austrian Grand Prix.

Even in Silverstone, though he ran second to Piastri for much of the race, he remained within touching distance such that he was able to capitalise when the Aussie struck dramas.

“I think I always thought Lando in a race is faster than Oscar,” Hill opined.

“I think he had a few nervy qualifiers, so he dropped a few [poles] with getting into the last few moments of the last run of a qualifying session. But now, his head is settling. I really do. And then I think he’s dangerous.”

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Norris has cut a different figure in the paddock since Canada.

He brushed that disappointment aside almost instantly, and claimed to have forgotten about it by the time the circus reached the Red Bull Ring.

It has produced two positive race results, arguably swinging the pendulum back in his favour after Piastri looked to have seized the initiative.

You can always class it as momentum or whatever, but I don’t think that… yeah. I don’t know,” he began after winning in Silverstone. “It’s whatever you want to believe in the end of the day.

“It’s two wins, but they’ve not come easy by any means. We’ve had good fights, but they’re pretty strenuous, exhausting weekends because you’re fighting for hundredths and thousandths, and you’re fighting for perfection every session and I’m against some pretty good drivers.

“It takes a lot out of you, especially when you have a race like [Silverstone]. So, I’ve had two good weekends and, of course, I would love to continue that momentum, but it still requires more consistency.

“Two weekends doesn’t mean anything otherwise. And I just need to keep it up and keep working hard.”

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