Charles Leclerc delivered a flawless drive to win a dramatic British Grand Prix at Silverstone, ending a two-year victory drought and securing Ferrari’s 250th Grand Prix triumph.

Ferrari made a sensational start, with both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton jumping ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli into the opening corners. While Leclerc controlled the early stages, Hamilton’s race took a setback when he received a five-second penalty for a jump start.

Antonelli quickly capitalised, sweeping around the inside of Copse on Lap 11 to reclaim second place thanks to superior Mercedes battery deployment.

Further back, Max Verstappen battled his way through the field despite persistent complaints over his Red Bull’s gearshifts, while George Russell and Hamilton produced one of the race’s standout duels, exchanging positions several times around Copse, Brooklands and the Hangar Straight.

Strategy became crucial as Verstappen attempted an early undercut, while two Virtual Safety Cars—one caused by a rogue umbrella and another following Nico Hülkenberg’s stranded Audi—shuffled the order. Ferrari elected not to pit Leclerc during the second yellow flag, a decision questioned at the time but one that ultimately proved successful.

Antonelli’s hopes of victory unravelled after his final pit stop. Contact in the pit lane left him with damage, and he soon reported broken suspension and severe steering issues.

After an additional stop to remove debris trapped around the suspension, the Mercedes driver slipped out of contention before later collecting a five-second track limits penalty.

Hamilton eventually found a way past Verstappen to claim third, while Russell recovered from a slow puncture to secure an unlikely second place.

Late drama arrived when Verstappen crashed out at Turn 15, prompting a Safety Car that remained on track until the chequered flag. Leclerc crossed the line to claim an emphatic victory ahead of Russell and Hamilton, while Antonelli’s difficult afternoon ended with a disappointing 12th-place finish, significantly reducing his championship advantage.

Antonelli’s once-massive lead is slowly being eroded as his championship lead shrinks to just 25 points over teammate George Russell.

2026 British Grand Prix: Race Results

Note: Antonelli set the fastest lap of the race (1:31.777) but did not score the fastest lap point because he finished outside the top 10.