When was the last all-British podium in F1?
F1 News
The 2024 season has become a hugely competitive season, with many teams battling at the front of the grid and seemingly closing in on Red Bull and slowing down their dominance. Ferrari, McLaren, and even Mercedes have found the pace to catch up to the Austrian team, meaning podiums and race wins for Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are highly achievable, and the chance of an all-British podium is on the cards. But when did an all-British podium last occur in Formula 1? GPblog explains.
When was the last all-British podium in F1?
The last all-British F1 podium occurred 56 years ago at the 1968 US Grand Prix at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course. In the penultimate race of the 1968 season, the race was won by Jackie Stewert, with the World Champion of that year Graham Hill coming in P2, and John Surtees rounding out the top three. Stewert won the race by 24 seconds in a race where only six of the 20 starters were classified.
The 1960s was a hugely successful period for British drivers in F1, with Stewert, Hill and Surtees all winning World Championships in that decade, Hill in 1962 and 1968, Surtees in 1964, and Stewert in 1969.
All-British podium a possibility at Silverstone
Now, 56 years later, the opportunity for an all-Britsh podium has not been better, with Norris, Hamilton and Russell all challenging at the front of the grid, highlighting another golden age of British F1.
In back-to-back races, an all-British podium was very close to coming to fruition, with British drivers taking a 2-3-4 at the Canadian and Spanish Grand Prix in 2024. In Montreal, Norris finished behind Max Verstappen after potentially having the chance to win the race, but a poor strategy call squandered his chance. A resurgent Mercedes who found pace in 2024 meant Russell was able to start on pole, but he could only finish in P3, and Hamilton finished behind in fourth.
Another change of an all-British podium came and went at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with a 2-3-4 occurring once again when the chequered flag dropped. Again, it was Norris who finished behind the Red Bull of Verstappen, despite showing signs of the McLaren being the fastest car that weekend. It was another Mercedes 3-4, but this time it was Hamilton who was able to step on the podium ahead of Russell.
Now, at the British Grand Prix, Russell, Hamilton and Norris were able to take the first three grid spaces in qualifying and take an all-British 1-2-3 in front of their home fans. The chance for an all-British podium, the first for 56 years, has never been so close to happening.
It's another purple patch of successful British drivers in the world of Formula 1, and the potential for another all-British podium, the first time since 1968, could well be a possibility in 2024.