Leclerc snatches British GP win as championship leader Antonelli's Mercedes breaks down

Charles Leclerc won the 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday, heading a Ferrari one-two with Lewis Hamilton as championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s race unravelled with a mechanical failure that cost the Italian 18 points in the drivers’ standings.

Leclerc seized the initiative immediately, snatching the lead from polesitter Antonelli off the line with Hamilton — starting third — also muscling past the Mercedes. Antonelli responded by staying out longer on his tyres, eventually pitting on lap 35 of 52 to try to undercut the Ferrari. Six laps later, however, he radioed that “something is broken” on his car. A failed left wheel shield caused severe handling problems, forcing Antonelli to pit twice more and dropping him outside the top 10.

With Antonelli out of contention, Leclerc managed a comfortable 20-second cushion over Hamilton to the flag, sealing Ferrari’s first win of the season on Mercedes’ home circuit.

Hamilton’s podium finish came despite a five-second time penalty for a false start, which he served during his pitstop. He emerged ahead of a three-way battle with Max Verstappen and George Russell’s Mercedes — only for Verstappen to dramatically spin into the gravel at Stowe with six laps remaining, ending his unlikely podium challenge after a race spent wrestling with handling, gearbox and power unit issues.

Verstappen’s retirement triggered a safety car, and most of the field pitted for fresh soft tyres. Russell, however, stayed out on old mediums to protect track position in second. Race control indicated the safety car would come in at the end of the penultimate lap, but it remained on track, locking in the podium order of Leclerc, Russell and Hamilton. Russell’s second place was itself fortunate — he had already made an extra stop for a slow puncture earlier in the race.

Hamilton is still to face the FIA stewards over a separate yellow-flag infringement.

Lando Norris finished fourth for McLaren after a difficult afternoon on Silverstone’s demanding layout, benefitting from the misfortunes ahead of him. Isack Hadjar was fifth for Red Bull, with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad taking sixth and seventh in an impressive showing for the midfield outfit. Gabriel Bortoleto scored eighth for Audi, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.