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Leclerc Ends Drought at Chaotic Silverstone as Antonelli's Lead Shrinks
After nearly two years, Charles Leclerc celebrates victory once again at the British Grand Prix, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli sees his lead shrink following a scoreless Sunday.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-07-05T18:58:35.000Z - 2 min read
Charles Leclerc put an end to a long winless drought at Silverstone. The Ferrari driver stood atop the podium for the first time in nearly two years, delivering a rock-solid performance while turmoil unfolded behind him.
Behind Leclerc, George Russell skillfully maneuvered his Mercedes into second place, aided in part by a late safety car period that netted him precious points. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in third, though his race was marred by a jump start that earned him a penalty.
For championship leader Kimi Antonelli, Sunday proved far less fortunate. Although he won Saturday's sprint race, he went scoreless in the main race, reducing his championship lead to 25 points. A poor start was the sole blemish on a race that could otherwise have been potentially lucrative for him.
There were also standout performances from Lando Norris, who secured a fourth-place finish with his McLaren that was perhaps better than expected. Several rookies impressed as well: Liam Lawson drove one of his strongest races, exploiting the chaos perfectly. Eighteen-year-old Arvid Lindblad likewise enjoyed an exceptionally strong weekend, as did Gabriel Bortoleto, who scored his first much-needed points for Audi.
Less fortunate was Max Verstappen, whose Red Bull failed to finish the race despite showing promising pace that could have carried him to the podium. Oscar Piastri suffered an outright disappointing race for McLaren, coming away empty-handed. Alex Albon also saw his messy race, marked by contact, come to an early end.