Sports
Leclerc wins chaotic British GP as Antonelli suffers late failure
July 5, 2026
Source: SkySports | News · Read on source site
Charles Leclerc wins British GP for Ferrari; George Russell reduces Kimi Antonelli's championship lead to 25 points by taking second; Lewis Hamilton keeps third after avoiding a second penalty; Antonelli out of points after technical failure; Max Verstappen crashed out in closing stages
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>Charles Leclerc won a chaotic British Grand Prix for Ferrari as Kimi Antonelli's world championship lead was dramatically reduced after a technical issue left him outside the points.
>Antonelli, who began on pole but was passed by both Ferraris at the start, appeared to be on course for victory as he closed in on Leclerc with significantly fresher tyres, but the Italian's front-left wheel shield failed, forcing him to twice come into the pits.
>Antonelli desperately attempted to finish the race to secure some points but was struggling to keep his car on track with hampered steering, and despite taking the chequered flag in ninth, was demoted to 16th after a five-second penalty for breaching the circuit's limits too many times was implemented.
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>Antonelli's Mercedes team-mate George Russell struggled for pace throughout the weekend but claimed an unlikely second place after Ferrari made an error by pitting Lewis Hamilton under a late Safety Car caused by Max Verstappen spinning out with four laps remaining.
>Russell's second place means he reduces Antonelli's title lead to 25 points, with two retirements in three races for the 19-year-old having shrunk his advantage from the 66 points it had grown to after he claimed a fifth successive victory at the Monaco Grand Prix on June 7.
>Hamilton emerged just behind Russell after pitting, and didn't get the chance to use his fresher tyres to reclaim second as the Safety Car stayed out until the final lap, pulling in only for the final few corners, through which overtaking was not allowed.
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>The race director indicated that the Safety Car would come in at the end of the penultimate lap to allow a one-lap sprint to the flag, but the decision was reversed, causing an anti-climatic finish that drew boos from some of the crowd.
>Hamilton, who served a five-second penalty during his first pit stop for a false start, kept hold of his podium after escaping without punishment following an investigation for a yellow-flag infringement, meaning he moves within 32 points of Antonelli, while Ferrari reduce Mercedes' Constructors' Championship lead to 78 points.
>Reigning world champion Lando Norris ensured there were three British drivers in the top four at the chequered flag by taking fourth for McLaren.
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>Liam Lawson and Britain's Arvid Lindblad combined for a superb result for Racing Bulls as they claimed sixth and seventh, respectively.
>Gabriel Bortoleto claimed his best result of the season by taking eighth for Audi, while Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly claimed the final points positions for Audi.
>Leclerc had been on a poor run of form, which had continued as he finished fifth in Saturday's Sprint at Silverstone, when he was nowhere near the pace of Hamilton in second.
>However, the Monegasque found some of his trademark one-lap speed later on Saturday to beat Hamilton to second on the grid, and cashed in on his position by taking advantage of Antonelli's poor start to lead into the first corner.
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>Hamilton followed him through, but was unable to stay with his team-mate, but did do enough to help Leclerc establish a four-second lead by the time Antonelli passed the Brit on lap 11.
>Leclerc initially held the advantage but Antonelli began to close, prompting Ferrari to bring him in on lap 25.
>Antonelli stayed out for another 10 laps, and emerged 7.5 seconds behind Leclerc, and had used his fresher rubber to bring the gap under three seconds with 11 laps remaining.
>Given Antonelli would have likely cruised past Leclerc, with the Mercedes' greater straight-line speed, had he got within a second of the Ferrari, the Italian was the clear favourite for victory at this moment.
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>However, he suddenly began to slow and reported an issue, which was eventually diagnosed as a broken front-left wheel shield after two pit stops to attempt to resolve it. Antonelli thought the damage was done when he drove over a kerb at high-speed Copse corner.
>The second stop dropped him to 10th, and he eventually decided to try to stay out and fight for that final points position after deliberations over retiring the car on team radio.
>While he moved up to ninth when Verstappen crashed on lap 47, Antonelli had already breached track limits for a fourth-time as he struggled to control the car, which meant he had a five-second penalty to serve at the chequered flag, dropping him way down the bunched field that was left by the Safety Car.
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>Antonelli said: "I hit the kerb every lap. That lap, I probably hit it less even than previous laps, and I could feel instantly that something broke.
>"I just didn't know what was going on, and the team was trying to understand. Initially we thought it was the front wing, but then it wasn't.
>"It didn't go our way, and I think it was a shame because we had a real shot for the win today."
>Antonelli's misfortune appeared to have left Leclerc to cruise to victory, which he ultimately did, but only after a nervous wait to see if the Safety Car would come in early enough to set a final lap of racing with the field on his tail.
>Leclerc's victory is his first since the 2024 United States Grand Prix, and gives Ferrari a second win in three races after Hamilton's Barcelona win ended their 20-month wait for a grand prix triumph.
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>Leclerc said: "It feels incredible. Unfortunately the end was maybe not the one I would have dreamt of.
>"To win after the last few weekends that have been particularly difficult. All the work we put in to try to get the feeling back in the car, felt like I found something yesterday after the Sprint. But I had to confirm it today.
>"Today the feeling was back where it needs to be. I'm so incredibly happy."
>Formula 1's summer run continues with the Belgian Grand Prix at legendary Spa-Francorchamps on July 17-19, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime