The British Grand Prix ended in anticlimax as the race finished behind the safety car, with Charles Leclerc taking victory and Lewis Hamilton benefiting from Kimi Antonelli's late-race heartbreak.
Start and Early Lead
Kimi Antonelli started from pole position, but both Ferraris launched significantly better. Charles Leclerc swept into the lead, while Lewis Hamilton slotted into second place. Leclerc managed to pull away, but Hamilton lacked the pace to match the Ferrari. From lap eight onwards, Antonelli began closing in on Hamilton, completing the overtake on lap 12. Hamilton had held up Antonelli enough to give Leclerc a 4.4-second gap.
Hamilton's Penalty and Recovery
The stewards spotted that Hamilton had jumped the start and issued him a five-second time penalty, further reducing his chances of a 10th Silverstone victory. After serving the penalty in the pit lane, Hamilton dropped behind Max Verstappen and George Russell. However, he immediately got on the gearbox of the Mercedes and threatened to pass, setting the fastest lap of the race on hard tyres. Hamilton completed two spectacular overtakes on Russell, but the Mercedes driver's engine deployment rendered them pointless—until Russell picked up a slow puncture and pitted. That left Verstappen exposed, and Hamilton flew past to retake third place.
Antonelli's Late-Race Drama
Antonelli had complained about being the last to pit, but Mercedes waited strategically. His new hard tyres had 10 laps of rubber compared to Leclerc's, and he began closing the gap by more than a second per lap. However, with 10 laps remaining, a panicked Antonelli reported "something broken" with the car. He suspected suspension issues, while Mercedes believed it was a broken wheel shield. The team tore it off in the pit lane before sending him back out. Performance did not improve much, but Antonelli was determined to stay out, even if it meant only minor points.
Verstappen's Crash and Safety Car Finish
Further drama unfolded with five laps to go when Max Verstappen spun off track and beached his Red Bull in the gravel, declaring he hated his car. Ferrari pitted both their cars for fresh soft tyres, giving second place to Russell. That proved to be a mistake when the Grand Prix ended with the safety car still leading the pack, meaning Hamilton had to settle for third. Leclerc won, followed by Russell and Hamilton.
