Finish Behind the Safety Car

LIVE: Who will win the Grand Prix at Silverstone?

Charles Leclerc(Bild: AFP/BEN STANSALL)

After a dramatic final stretch at the British Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc celebrated his first Formula 1 victory of the season. On Sunday at Silverstone, with just a few laps remaining, the Monegasque driver benefited from problems with the Mercedes of championship leader Kimi Antonelli—who had been running in second place until then and had his sights set on victory with fresher tires. 

Local heroes George Russell (Mercedes) and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) rounded out the podium. The race ended behind the safety car.

Max Verstappen squandered a podium finish while running in third place four laps before the checkered flag when he went off into the gravel trap. The Dutchman lost control of his Red Bull car in a high-speed section and was forced to retire.

Antonelli Drama
Antonelli, winner of Saturday’s Sprint, limped his “Silver Arrow” across the finish line in ninth place, but received a five-second penalty for multiple off-track incidents and therefore finished 16th without scoring any points.

Russell Gained Ground in the World Championship
In the World Championship standings, the Mercedes rising star thus failed to extend his lead. Russell, the winner at Spielberg—who had been set back significantly during the race due to a slow puncture—narrowed his deficit to 25 points—the same number awarded for a race win. Unlike Hamilton, the Englishman did not pit after the Verstappen crash, as the race was not restarted, thereby preventing Ferrari’s first one-two finish at Silverstone since 2002. Hamilton trails by 32 points, while Leclerc, now fourth overall, trails Antonelli by 71.

Here are the final results:

“Finally! This win feels especially good, even though I would have hoped for a more normal finish,” Leclerc radioed with relief after crossing the finish line. It was his first victory since October 2024 in Austin, his first at Silverstone, and the Scuderia’s 250th in Formula 1. “Hard work pays off.” The Monegasque driver started the race from second on the grid, led the Grand Prix for much of the race, and ultimately celebrated his ninth career Grand Prix victory. “That’s a great result for him and his team,” Hamilton said, congratulating his colleague.

 “Déjà vu” for Wolff
Once again, reliability issues with the car proved to be Mercedes’ undoing. Team principal Toto Wolff spoke of “déjà vu” after Russell, while leading in Canada, and Antonelli in Barcelona both retired due to technical problems. “It was the third retirement that cost us a race win. You can’t compete for the world championship if you let 75 points slip away so carelessly,” the Viennese said on ORF. The damage may have occurred when Antonelli drove over a high curb. “Something broke up front—that shouldn’t happen. He didn’t drive any differently than usual.”

(Bild: EPA/PETER POWELL)

Hamilton’s False Start
Oscar Piastri had a botched start; his McLaren was pushed to the back of the field due to wing damage. The early stages of the race were particularly tense due to an investigation into Hamilton for a possible false start—the record-holding Silverstone winner (9) received a five-second penalty. Leclerc led the race by a comfortable margin, while Antonelli was stuck behind Hamilton until the eleventh of 52 laps.

(Bild: AP/Darko Bandic)

On lap 22, a yellow flag triggered a virtual safety car period, but due to its brevity, it had no impact on the race. Shortly afterward, Hamilton was called into the pits and overtaken by Russell as a result of his penalty. The two local heroes then engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth battle with several passing maneuvers for the final podium spot, a battle that also involved Verstappen, who was struggling with his tires. However, a slow puncture set Russell back.

To the Finish Line Behind the Safety Car 
At the front of the field, Antonelli changed his tires significantly later than Leclerc, which led to a comeback by the Italian in the closing stages. When Nico Hülkenberg coasted to a stop in his Audi on lap 39, another virtual safety car was deployed. With ten laps to go, the Antonelli drama unfolded: The Mercedes rising star reported suspension problems with his car, had to pit twice, and still managed to make it to the finish line. Meanwhile, Verstappen threw away his second consecutive podium finish since Spielberg shortly before the end.