What happens when you win a Formula 1 Grand Prix?

Only 116 drivers in history have experienced what it’s like to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Of the 782 drivers who have competed across 77 seasons and 1,161 races, that’s just 14.83% who have stood on the top step of the podium. Just 82 of those have won more than once. Lando has done so 13 times, including in the last two races.

All 13 have come in the last three seasons. Lando first tasted victory at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, six years after making his Formula 1 debut, and most recently won at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Every win is special, but the reasons why can vary. Miami brought the emotional release of a long-awaited first victory, while his win in Abu Dhabi later that year delivered our first Constructors’ Championship in 26 years. Hungary 2026 marked another personal milestone: Lando’s first win with the Number 1 on his car, while a back-to-back victory like last weekend in Zandvoort builds momentum.

“How does it feel? Damn…” Lando says, stretching as he leans back in his chair, giving himself a moment to think. “There is some relief that everyone’s hard work has paid off,” he picks up, laughing, before concluding: “A lot goes through your mind in those moments. All of it very positive, and very happy.”

So much of what happens across a Grand Prix weekend is formulaic. Every press conference, marketing activity, briefing, debriefing, and fan stage visit is planned in advance. The end of the race is no different, although where a driver finishes determines what happens next.

For most of the grid, they’ll park up, weigh themselves, and head off to complete their media duties. Anyone unfortunate enough to have retired will have likely already completed these tasks and grabbed an early shower.

For the three podium finishers, however, the end of the day is more intense.

“When you cross the line and see the team on the pit wall, that is your first sense of winning the race,” he says. “It’s an awesome feeling knowing that so many people are happy. That, for me, is the most important thing. On your in lap, you’re just trying to take everything in, because these moments are very special.

“You still have to weigh yourself, and then you’ll have a drink of water because you’re normally pretty thirsty by then. After that, you can finally celebrate with the team. These moments are really fulfilling because you’ve all worked so hard together.”

Between leaping into the team’s arms in parc fermé and being whisked up to the podium, the top three will be taken to the first of several post-race interviews and asked for their immediate thoughts on the action. Typically, these are “pretty easy” if you’ve won – the hardest part is trying to remember everything that has happened so soon after the race.

It isn’t until the media pen interviews and post-race press conference later that we hear their fully formed feedback on the race. By then, they’ve had time to digest what happened, speak with the team and catch up on the highlights, having previously experienced events only from the cockpit.

Winning from Pole is the calmest way to go from lights to flag, but it can leave a driver unaware of a lot of the action behind them. If an update isn’t relevant to their race, the team won’t pass it on, so unless they catch a glimpse of a major moment on one of the big screens around the track - or are involved in it themselves - they may not know it happened.

The cooldown room often gives drivers their first glimpse of the wider track action, albeit in the unusual setting of watching it alongside those they have just battled. Lando, however, says he “doesn’t really think too much about who you are with at the time”.

He continues: “As a fan of racing, it’s cool to see that quick review and understand what everyone watching from home saw. You might have had a very lonely race, where not much happened, but behind you, it might have been one of the most exciting races.

“Sometimes, you will have absolutely no idea that something has happened during a race, so it can be quite interesting to see these moments for the first time. Someone might have had a big moment, or a close call, and it can be quite exciting to see that after the race, if you didn’t know about it.”

Every F1 podium is different, but some more so than others. A few are memorable for their unusual ceremonies, such as the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, where robots delivered the trophies, or the 2021 United States Grand Prix, where 7’1” NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal’s appearance quite literally overshadowed the drivers. Others stand out for their atmosphere, such as Monza and Silverstone, or their location, like Monaco and Mexico City, where the ceremonies take place in a royal box and in the Foro Sol stadium section, respectively.

Lando’s first 11 wins came at 11 different circuits, making him particularly well placed to offer his view on F1’s various podiums. He has also stood on the podium at every circuit that features on this year’s calendar - except Azerbaijan and Las Vegas, plus the two venues that will be completely new to him in 2026: Madrid and Malaysia.

“Places like Monza and Silverstone are unbelievable,” Lando says. “Mexico is also a cool one. The best podiums are the ones where it’s loud, and you can see all of the fans on the track, and the passion and love they have for the sport. Monza is easily the most iconic for those reasons – you’re right on top of the track. That is probably the podium one you want to experience the most. Silverstone, for me, is also very special.”

After the solitude of the race, stepping onto the podium reminds him just how many people are with him every weekend.

Lando allows himself to be swept up in the emotion of these moments. It makes an otherwise surreal experience feel real. Having spent almost the entire day relying on the analytical, organised side of his brain, he can finally switch off, relax, and soak up the atmosphere.

“Heading out of the little tunnel and seeing everyone is easily the moment that puts the biggest smile on your face,” he says. “It’s amazing to walk out and see all the fans, and then your team down below - people were just working the race 10 minutes ago - happy and having been rewarded for their hard work.

“The best bit is that you get to go onto the podium with a team member. I always look forward to that. It’s a cool surprise to find out who it is. In Budapest, that was Kyle, my Number 1 Mechanic, and in Zandvoort, it was Adrian, one of the Engineers. It’s a lot of fun.”

While Lando looks forward to seeing his teammates below and the fans beyond them, those watching eagerly await his now-iconic champagne spike – a trademark of his podium celebrations since his F1 debut.

“One of my friends did it many, many years ago, back when we were racing in Formula 4, and I thought it was pretty cool, so I carried the tradition on,” he explains. “So I actually stole it from someone else, I didn’t create it myself! I used to do it whenever I got a podium, as they were quite rare at the time, whereas now, it only comes out when we win a race – so Budapest was the first one of the year.

“I can’t claim it completely, but it is nice to have something that is a little bit of my own, and a little different. It’s also cool to see more and more drivers doing it in other categories.”

Whatever the climate, the champagne usually leaves him ‘freezing cold’ and ready for a change of clothes. He’ll ditch his soggy suit before rushing to the media pen for his second set of interviews, followed by the press conference. Then it’s time for another soaking as he rejoins the team in the pit lane for the traditional team photograph and more celebrations. “The whole team are waiting for you, ready to celebrate and mark a great moment,” he says. “It’s fun to get together and celebrate those moments, and spray some more champagne.”

From here, it’s largely back to work. If flight times allow, the team will hold a brief debrief at the track, covering the most important aspects of the race while they’re still fresh in everyone’s minds. This is less about what went well - which will be discussed in greater depth during the week - and more about any tweaks or changes they want to get a head start on before the next race. A more in-depth debrief will then take place in the following days.

“We’ll normally try and cover all of the most important points, anything that has been problematic, or that I want to change before the next weekend, plus any other bits of key information. But that is pretty much it.

“I’ll head to my room, have a shower and get changed – a can of Monster if I’m allowed, and then head home. Normally around midnight, or early morning, I’ll get on a plane and head back to Monaco.”

The celebrations don’t end there, as the victory carries on back at Woking. The trophies and empty champagne bottles will return to the factory with the team, ready for a company-wide debrief on Wednesday or Thursday and the celebratory photograph you see on our social media feeds.

“Everyone will get together in the race bay along with the trophies,” he says. “It was really cool last year when, after a double or triple header, we might have nine or 10 trophies to celebrate with. That is awesome to see. It’s good for us to all get together along with Andrea Stella and the heads of department to review the races and refocus on what’s next.”