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F1 Silverstone LIVE: Leclerc wins as Russell jumps Hamilton in safety car chaos at the British GP
Live coverage of Sunday at the F1 British Grand Prix
KEY MOMENTS
- Gravel and chaos strike Lego parade lap
- Antonelli starts from pole after winning the sprint race
- Leclerc and Hamilton in position to challenge for victory
The ninth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the British Grand Prix.
Silverstone hosted the first official F1 Grand Prix in 1950 and continues to be a firm favourite of both drivers and fans in the modern era.
On Thursday, drivers were vocal in their concerns about how energy-starved the layout could be, with few heavy braking zones to recover energy into the batteries. However, when the action got underway on Friday, the issue was far less intrusive than had been feared.
A bizarre dispute is also taking place in regard to Sunday’s parade lap, which will take place in Lego go-karts, with each driver having their own vehicle. Whilst some are all for it and are eager to get going, such as Lando Norris and Valtteri Bottas, there are others who are less excited about the prospect, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen both voicing concern, and the former suggesting he does not intend to take part.
However, when the lap took place, the drivers all appeared to be enjoying the chaos, with Fernando Alonso, Bottas, and Esteban Ocon battling it out for the unofficial victory.
Fresh off the back of his victory at the Red Bull Ring, George Russell is keen to add to his points haul with a first win on home soil, but starts from fourth place after a disappointing qualifying.
Charles Leclerc and Hamilton follow Antonelli on the grid in second and third, and are hoping to use strategy to overcome Mercedes for a second time this year.
2026 British Grand Prix Sunday schedule
Grand Prix: 15:00pm BST – 17:00pm BST
Lewis Hamilton will not receive a post race penalty after being summoned by the British Grand Prix
The Brit holds on to a podium finish at his home race in Silverstone.
Hamilton’s race was marred with bad luck after he initially was hit with a five second penalty for moving before the lights went out at the start of the Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver managed to cross the line in P3 but was running in second to his teammate and race winner Charles Leclerc when a late safety car deployment, prompted by Max Verstappen’s crash, led the team to pit him in the hopes of a late charge.
The race ended under safety car conditions and Hamilton’s pit stop meant he had conceded second place to George Russell.
Full story here.
FIA explains Silverstone safety car confusion after ‘software error’
The FIA has explained why the safety car remained on track for the final lap at the British Grand Prix, despite the timing screens showing that it would be returning to the pit lane.
Max Verstappen crashed with four laps remaining of the Silverstone race, with double-waved yellow flags being immediately shown, and the safety car deployed moments later.
Full story here…
2026 Formula 1 world championship standings after the British Grand Prix
George Russell closed to within 25 points of Kimi Antonelli in a dramatic British Grand Prix.
Russell finished second at Silverstone after suffering a puncture, which forced him to take a second stop.
Full standings here…
Charles Leclerc takes Silverstone win after late safety car confusion and Kimi Antonelli nightmare at F1 British GP
Charles Leclerc claimed his first victory of the season after Andrea Kimi Antonelli suffered late trouble in a dramatic Formula 1 British Grand Prix that ended amid safety car confusion.
Leclerc got ahead of Antonelli with a brilliant start and led the opening exchanges, though the Italian had a 10-lap tyre offset advantage and was rapidly catching Leclerc in the closing stages before the championship leader’s race unravelled.
Full report here…
“I have to give big congratulations to Charles. Winning this Grand Prix is such a special experience, and this is a great result for our team, so congratulations to our team.
“I just didn’t have it today. I jumped the start, already got a five-second penalty, but Charles had the pace on me today.
“I struggled with the balance of the car, but I gave it everything, and I’m grateful to be up here [on the podium].”
“It was obviously a very unlucky race. I got the puncture, then got very lucky at the end with the safety car.
“I was glad to see [the safety car]. It would have been great for the fans for it to have restarted. From my side, my tyres were stone cold, so I was kind of glad to just bring it home in second. A tough weekend, but overall, it’s good to be standing here.”
“With Kimi, it would have been close. He was very fast when he was coming towards me, so it would have been very difficult to keep that first place.
“Then I’ve heard he had a problem, so I was like, okay, now I have quite a big gap, and it should be straightforward.
“But then the safety car at the end. And for whatever reason, I think some backmarkers had to pass us. I did all the safety car time at like 100, 120 kph. My tyres were completely cold, so I was very sceptical about the restart.
“It’s not great for the fans that are here around the track, but in the helmet, I was kind of happy that there was not a restart to keep that win.”
That was such an anticlimax, and F1 really needs to work out how better to manage late-race incidents. Fans at the track and around the world were denied a thrilling showdown.
Leclerc takes a deserved win at the British Grand Prix, but it’s all controversy behind, with Russell taking P2 after not pitting in the Safety Car, while Hamilton is third.
However, Hamilton has an investigation hanging over him for a yellow flag infringement, after Norris commented he was ‘overtaking everyone’. A five-second penalty would push Hamilton out of the points.
Safety Car in this lap. But it’s the last lap, so that makes no difference whatsoever.
That’s disappointing. What an anticlimax that is for everyone. Hamilton and Ferrari will be kicking themselves.
No, no, no! A fresh notification that the Safety Car has been deployed. Confussion.
Safety Car in this lap! We will get a lap of action!
Lapped cars may now overtake! We will almost certainly get a one-lap shootout. We don’t have to let them catch back up to the main train.
Remember. we don’t have to let the lapped cars pass.
If this doesn’t resume, that’s a very clever strategy call from Mercedes.
Russell has not stopped. He is in second place now, but will be in a very tough spot if this race restarts.
Unsurprisingly, the entire field pulls in for new tyres.
Safety Car deployed, and Verstappen is out after crashing in front of the Landostand at Stowe. Out of nowhere, Russell is on the podium.
Albon finally pits, and retires his Williams.
And there’s his penalty. Even if he continues, he won’t score a point.
Antoneli is now under investigation for track limits.
Antonelli is told to box to retire, but he continues on. That could be because there is a likely track limits penalty coming his way, and Mercedes may want to serve that potential sanction rather than risk it becoming a grid penalty next time out.
Leclerc now enjoys a 20.9-second lead from Hamilton.
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KEY MOMENTS
- Gravel and chaos strike Lego parade lap
- Antonelli starts from pole after winning the sprint race
- Leclerc and Hamilton in position to challenge for victory
The ninth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the British Grand Prix.
Silverstone hosted the first official F1 Grand Prix in 1950 and continues to be a firm favourite of both drivers and fans in the modern era.
On Thursday, drivers were vocal in their concerns about how energy-starved the layout could be, with few heavy braking zones to recover energy into the batteries. However, when the action got underway on Friday, the issue was far less intrusive than had been feared.
A bizarre dispute is also taking place in regard to Sunday’s parade lap, which will take place in Lego go-karts, with each driver having their own vehicle. Whilst some are all for it and are eager to get going, such as Lando Norris and Valtteri Bottas, there are others who are less excited about the prospect, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen both voicing concern, and the former suggesting he does not intend to take part.
However, when the lap took place, the drivers all appeared to be enjoying the chaos, with Fernando Alonso, Bottas, and Esteban Ocon battling it out for the unofficial victory.
Fresh off the back of his victory at the Red Bull Ring, George Russell is keen to add to his points haul with a first win on home soil, but starts from fourth place after a disappointing qualifying.
Charles Leclerc and Hamilton follow Antonelli on the grid in second and third, and are hoping to use strategy to overcome Mercedes for a second time this year.
2026 British Grand Prix Sunday schedule
Grand Prix: 15:00pm BST – 17:00pm BST
KEY MOMENTS
- Gravel and chaos strike Lego parade lap
- Antonelli starts from pole after winning the sprint race
- Leclerc and Hamilton in position to challenge for victory
The ninth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the British Grand Prix.
Silverstone hosted the first official F1 Grand Prix in 1950 and continues to be a firm favourite of both drivers and fans in the modern era.
On Thursday, drivers were vocal in their concerns about how energy-starved the layout could be, with few heavy braking zones to recover energy into the batteries. However, when the action got underway on Friday, the issue was far less intrusive than had been feared.
A bizarre dispute is also taking place in regard to Sunday’s parade lap, which will take place in Lego go-karts, with each driver having their own vehicle. Whilst some are all for it and are eager to get going, such as Lando Norris and Valtteri Bottas, there are others who are less excited about the prospect, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen both voicing concern, and the former suggesting he does not intend to take part.
However, when the lap took place, the drivers all appeared to be enjoying the chaos, with Fernando Alonso, Bottas, and Esteban Ocon battling it out for the unofficial victory.
Fresh off the back of his victory at the Red Bull Ring, George Russell is keen to add to his points haul with a first win on home soil, but starts from fourth place after a disappointing qualifying.
Charles Leclerc and Hamilton follow Antonelli on the grid in second and third, and are hoping to use strategy to overcome Mercedes for a second time this year.
2026 British Grand Prix Sunday schedule
Grand Prix: 15:00pm BST – 17:00pm BST
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