Page navigation
- Season overview
- Standings
- Previous: Austrian GP
- Next: Belgian GP
- Blog: British GP race report
Weekend context
The 2026 British Grand Prix was Round 9 of the season, held at the 5.891 km Silverstone Circuit over 52 scheduled laps. The weekend included a Sprint, which Kimi Antonelli won for Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton had taken Sprint pole for Ferrari.
Sunday then flipped the story. Antonelli started the Grand Prix from pole with a 1:28.111 qualifying lap, but Charles Leclerc made the decisive race start for Ferrari and went on to win a Safety Car finish ahead of George Russell and Hamilton.
Sprint and qualifying
Hamilton topped Sprint Qualifying with a 1:28.376, only 0.011 seconds ahead of Antonelli. Antonelli answered in the Sprint itself, beating Hamilton by 2.745 seconds across 17 laps, with Lando Norris third and Russell fourth.
Grand Prix qualifying belonged to Antonelli. His 1:28.111 gave Mercedes pole, ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton, with Russell fourth and Isack Hadjar fifth for Red Bull Racing.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:29.275 | 1:28.732 | 1:28.111 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:29.462 | 1:28.971 | 1:28.286 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:29.276 | 1:28.765 | 1:28.458 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:29.176 | 1:28.882 | 1:28.481 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:30.053 | 1:29.398 | 1:28.746 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:29.576 | 1:29.299 | 1:28.877 |
| 7 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:29.477 | 1:29.176 | 1:28.893 |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:29.402 | 1:29.327 | 1:29.032 |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:29.937 | 1:29.544 | 1:29.305 |
| 10 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:29.787 | 1:29.373 | 1:29.716 |
Race classification
Leclerc won the Grand Prix in 1:27:11.335, just 0.427 seconds ahead of Russell. Hamilton finished third, 0.772 seconds behind his Ferrari team-mate, with Norris fourth and Hadjar fifth.
Antonelli's race unravelled after Mercedes reported a left-front wheel-shield issue. He made two further stops, fell down the order and was classified 15th on the road before a five-second track-limits penalty left him outside the points. Max Verstappen spun into the gravel on lap 48, bringing out a late Safety Car under which the race finished.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 52 | 1:27:11.335 | 25 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 52 | +0.427s | 18 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 52 | +0.772s | 15 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 52 | +1.149s | 12 |
| 5 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 52 | +1.598s | 10 |
| 6 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 52 | +2.023s | 8 |
| 7 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 52 | +2.214s | 6 |
| 8 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 52 | +2.413s | 4 |
| 9 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 52 | +3.229s | 2 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 52 | +3.445s | 1 |
| 11 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 52 | +4.014s | 0 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 52 | +5.245s | 0 |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 52 | +5.512s | 0 |
| 14 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 52 | +7.403s | 0 |
| 15 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 52 | +8.005s | 0 |
| 16 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 52 | +8.162s | 0 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 51 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 51 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 51 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 20 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 46 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | Alexander Albon | Williams | 43 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 36 | DNF | 0 |
Fastest lap, grid notes and penalties
Antonelli set the fastest race lap with a 1:31.777 on lap 37. Verstappen was second fastest on 1:32.101, Hadjar third on 1:32.268, Hamilton fourth on 1:32.309 and Russell fifth on 1:32.489.
Pierre Gasly dropped three grid places for impeding in qualifying. Lance Stroll had a 10-place grid drop for additional power unit elements, and Fernando Alonso took a pit-lane start after a formation-lap issue. During the race, Hamilton served a five-second penalty for a false start, Antonelli received a five-second track-limits penalty, and Hamilton was later reprimanded after a yellow-flag investigation.
Weekend data summary
- Sprint pole: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 1:28.376
- Sprint winner: Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, 26:12.129
- Pole: Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, 1:28.111
- Race winner: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 1:27:11.335
- Podium: Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton
- Fastest lap: Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, lap 37, 1:31.777
- Round 9 drivers' leader: Kimi Antonelli, 179 points
- Round 9 constructors' leader: Mercedes, 333 points
Post-race impact
Antonelli remains the drivers' championship leader on 179 points, but Russell closed to 154 and Hamilton to 147 after the Silverstone podium. Leclerc's victory lifted him to 108 and gave Ferrari a second win of the season.
Mercedes leads the constructors' championship with 333 points. Ferrari's one-three finish moved it to 255, McLaren holds third on 179, and Red Bull Racing is fourth on 128 after Verstappen's late retirement but Hadjar's fifth place.
Previous: Austrian GP Next: Belgian GP Blog: British GP race report