Charles Leclerc has celebrated his first win of the season at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, reigniting the Formula 1 title race. The Monégasque also benefited from his rival’s misfortune: Kimi Antonelli, who had controlled the race from second place for a long time, radioed in ten laps before the end: “Something is broken.” The championship leader fell back and ultimately retired without scoring a point.
Behind Ferrari driver Leclerc, George Russell and record world champion Lewis Hamilton completed the podium – it was already the fourth different winner in four consecutive races. “Finally!”, Leclerc radioed to the pit wall, his most recent previous win having come in autumn 2024: “Hard work pays off.” In the championship standings, Russell moved to within 25 points of Antonelli, with Hamilton a further seven points behind.
The weekend was defined by the duel between Ferrari and Mercedes: Antonelli had dominated the sprint and qualifying, but in the race Leclerc also surprisingly found his pace from second on the grid. When the lights went out, pole-sitter Antonelli made a poor start – both Ferrari drivers swept past, with Leclerc taking the lead. Hamilton, meanwhile, received a five-second penalty for having rolled minimally forward in his starting box. Before he could serve the penalty, Antonelli grabbed second place on lap eleven.
Ferrari opted for a tyre change following the late safety car phase – triggered by Max Verstappen’s excursion off the track – after which Russell moved past Hamilton. As the race ended behind the safety car, the positions remained unchanged.
There was also turbulence off the track: team principals Fred Vasseur (Ferrari) and Toto Wolff (Mercedes) clashed over cost caps and an arms race. “Fred tends to get very worked up quickly, but that’s how it is, I’ve known him for 25 years,” Wolff told Sky: “We are competitors first and foremost and sometimes you go through easier and more difficult times.” For Nico Hülkenberg, meanwhile, the points drought continued: on lap 38, the Emmerich native was forced to retire his Audi without having broken into the points. In 2025, he had sensationally celebrated third place and his first Formula 1 podium after a 15-year wait at Silverstone.
