Leclerc gives Ferrari 250th F1 victory at British Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc won at Silverstone as the race finished under a safety car and championship leader Kimi Antonelli came home 16th.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Charles Leclerc won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday, giving Ferrari its 250th Formula One race victory, AFP reported. The race finished behind a safety car, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli failed to score a top-10 result.
George Russell finished second for Mercedes, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton crossing the line third. Antonelli, Russell’s Mercedes teammate and closest title rival, remained at the top of the standings on 179 points, 25 ahead of Russell, according to AFP. Hamilton was another seven points back in third.
Leclerc’s win was the ninth of his F1 career and his first since the 2024 United States Grand Prix in Austin, AFP reported. The result moved him to fourth in the drivers’ championship on 108 points.
“Finally, this one feels particularly good,” Leclerc said over team radio after taking the flag, according to AFP. He added that he would have preferred “a bit more normal ending” after the safety-car finish.
Antonelli loses ground after pole start
Antonelli started from pole position after winning Saturday’s sprint, but the race turned against him early and then again in the closing stages. AFP reported that both Ferrari drivers passed him at the start before the 19-year-old Italian fought back into contention with Leclerc.
His challenge unraveled on lap 42 of 52, when he reported a problem and had to pit. After returning to the track, Antonelli continued at reduced pace before coming back into the pits, where Mercedes mechanics removed a brake cooling inlet, AFP reported.
The intervention did not solve the issue. With a five-second penalty also counting against him, Antonelli finished 16th, outside the points.
Hamilton faces further scrutiny
Hamilton, a nine-time winner at Silverstone, reached the podium for Ferrari but his result was not fully settled after the finish. AFP reported that stewards later placed him under investigation over a possible yellow-flag infringement.
Hamilton had already served a five-second penalty for a false start. The report did not state the outcome of the later investigation.
Verstappen slides out of podium contention
Max Verstappen had been on course for a podium finish late in the race, running third for Red Bull, AFP reported. His hopes ended on lap 48 of 52 when his car went off the circuit and into the gravel.
That incident helped shape the final order as Leclerc led Russell and Hamilton to the line. For Ferrari, the Silverstone win marked a milestone number in its long Formula One history and ended Leclerc’s wait for another victory.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.