Pole and win for Driver of the Year Lando Norris

Guild Driver of the Year 2016 Lando Norris put his Carlin Motorsport Dallara F317-Volkswagen on pole position for the first race of the FIA European Formula 3 season at Silverstone – and followed it up with an impressive win.

Norris put in a mature drive in slippery conditions at a chilly Silverstone to win by 1.7sec, breaking the lap record in the process. The field included six-time F3 race winner Jake Dennis, five-time winner Max Günther and two sons of former world champions, Mick Schumacher and Pedro Piquet.

Earlier in the day Norris received his Driver of the Year 2016 trophy from chairman Andrew Noakes. “Lando’s great performance in Formula Renault in 2016 caught the eye of our Driver of the Year judges,” said Noakes. “His race win in tricky conditions at Silverstone today just underlines that he’s one to watch.”

A bad start compromised Norris’s race the following day, but in the third Silverstone race he put in another fine performance, including a spectacular overtake, to finish on the podium. He leaves Silverstone third overall in the European F3 championship and leading rookie.

Photo: Max Adams