Leclerc wins – Charles Leclerc took his first British Grand Prix win at Silverstone after a late Max Verstappen crash with five laps remaining triggered a safety car procession that left fans booing. George Russell benefited to claim second after Mercedes’ gamble, while Kimi
Charles Leclerc was on his way to the win until the final picture arrived in the form of a crash.
With five laps to go. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen forced a late yellow flag and a safety car after crashing out of the race. and the British Grand Prix that had looked set to run all the way to the wire instead ended behind the safety car—prompting boos from fans who felt the finish had been stolen from them at Silverstone.
For Leclerc, it was a first triumph at Silverstone. He had led for most of the 2021 British Grand Prix, only to be overtaken by his then-team-mate Lewis Hamilton. This time, the final laps fell into a procession, and Leclerc crossed the line to claim his first win at the venue.
The late turning point reshaped the order in an instant. Ferrari’s pair—Leclerc and Hamilton—came into the pits as the safety car situation unfolded. swapping to soft tyres in preparation for what they expected to be a late tussle for first place. When the race ended without the anticipated rush to the flag, that hard work became something closer to damage control.
Mercedes’ George Russell took the opposite approach. He stayed out on the track, and that gamble paid off in the end. After the anti-climactic finish, Russell overtook Hamilton and secured second place.
Hamilton’s position felt the impact of Ferrari’s late call. Ferrari’s decision to send him into the pits ultimately cost the seven-time world champion second spot at his home Grand Prix. Even so. he still claimed a podium finish—Leclerc’s win coming with Hamilton delivering Ferrari its top result—marking Hamilton’s 16th podium at Silverstone.
The race also swung sharply through the misfortune of another title contender. Mercedes’ championship leader Kimi Antonelli had been in a strong position to challenge Leclerc with just 10 laps to go, but he suffered a disastrous mechanical fault that dropped him out of the points altogether.
Behind the celebration and the noise from the stands, there was also one unresolved question hanging over the silverware. Leclerc’s victory and the late safety car ending left the result pending the stewards’ investigation into potential wrongdoing under the late yellow flag.
The picture at Silverstone is already clear in its headline: Leclerc’s first British Grand Prix win, delivered under an ending no one expected. But the final detail—how the late yellow was handled—will be for the stewards to decide as the fans’ boos still echoed through the aftermath.
Charles Leclerc British Grand Prix Silverstone Max Verstappen safety car George Russell Lewis Hamilton Kimi Antonelli Ferrari Red Bull Mercedes Formula 1
So Verstappen just wrecks it and everyone boos… seems about right.
I didn’t even know Hamilton was still in the top. Safety car finishes are always kinda BS though, like you pay to watch the last laps and then it’s over behind a pace car.
Ferrari pitted Hamilton at the wrong time, right? Like if they just stayed out he woulda won at Silverstone again, but Verstappen’s crash messed everything up anyway. Also the whole “late yellow” thing… isn’t that like when they decide the order after the fact? sounds shady to me.
Not gonna lie, the stewards always find some excuse. If Verstappen caused the yellow, they should’ve just red flagged it and let them race the last 5. And then Russell stays out and magically gets second, of course. Plus Kimi Antonelli breaking down like that… tragic but also how is it even allowed to be “mechanical fault” right at the end, come on.