Charles Leclerc claimed his first British Grand Prix victory on Sunday with a consummate drive for Ferrari to win a dramatic and at times controversial race that ended behind a safety car after series leader Kimi Antonelli was hit by mechanical problems. The 28-year-old Monegasque finished 0.427 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell after he stayed out when both Ferraris pitted with five laps remaining after four-time champion Max Verstappen crashed out. The decision proved costly for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari who slipped from second to third during the pit-stops as the race stewards chose not to resume the race, as expected, in the final laps.
He had earlier been hit with a five-second penalty for a near-invisible false start.
“I just didn’t have it today. I jumped the start and I got a five-second penalty… but Charles had the pace on,” said a disappointed Hamilton.
As a result, many spectators were left frustrated and puzzled as the race ended in a procession.
Antonelli, who won the sprint on Saturday, still leads the title race with 179 points, 25 ahead of Russell with Hamilton a further seven points back in third. It was Leclerc’s ninth grand prix victory and first since he won the United States GP in Austin in October 2024, and puts him fourth in the championship with 108 points.
It also confirmed Ferrari’s emergence as a force in the title battle after Mercedes had won the opening six races of the season.