WATCH: The sensational wheel-to-wheel battle between Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris at the 2023 F1 British GP

Lando Norris recently had an epic wheel-to-wheel battle with Lewis Hamilton at the 2023 F1 British GP. Both British drivers were extremely close to each other during the latter stages of the race, with Hamilton on used soft tires and Norris on fresh hard tires.

A safety car was deployed on lap 33 due to Kevin Magnussen's car catching fire. This allowed several drivers to pit for new tires until the end of the race. The green flag was waved on lap 38, with Lewis Hamilton right behind Lando Norris and starting to attack for second place.

Despite having a harder tire compound, the McLaren driver was able to defend brilliantly against seven-time world champion Hamilton.

On both laps 39 and 40, Lewis Hamilton attacked ferociously on many corners on the track but was simply unable to overtake the MCL60. Lando Norris was excellent in placing his car perfectly, giving Hamilton ample space to drive yet not allowing him to gain speed for the overtake.

After a few laps, the Mercedes driver's soft tires started to wear off due to all the attacks. Hence, he gradually fell behind. Since Norris had fresh, hard tires, he was able to drive at a consistent pace and pull away from the veteran driver, securing second place.

This was the best finish in Norris' career and the best finish for McLaren this season. The upgrades they brought in from Austria worked like a charm, as they were able to challenge and even beat most of the top teams in the sport.

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Lando Norris delighted with P2 at the 2023 F1 British GP

Lando Norris was beaming after finishing P2 in the 2023 F1 British GP. Although he was confused about why McLaren put him on hard tires, he enjoyed his battle with Lewis Hamilton and was satisfied with finishing second in the race.

During his post-race interview with David Coulthard, he said:

"They put me on hard tires, don't know why that's still our beginners and some things but yeah. It was an amazing fight with Lewis. To hold him off, made a few, too many mistakes, maybe. But I did what I could. I brought the fight to Max for as long as possible. Yeah, I mean, I wanted this off so I feel like it made a bit more sense especially with the safety car going out. But I don't care, I’m P2, so all good."

Lando Norris has bumped himself up to ninth in the championship table after a brilliant race around Silverstone. He currently has 42 points.