F1 British Grand Prix 2026: Leclerc wins race, Antonelli DNF
F1 British Grand Prix 2026 at Silverstone (July 4-6). Race result (Jul 6): Leclerc (Ferrari) 1st, Russell (Mercedes) 2nd (+0.4s), Hamilton (Ferrari) 3rd (+0.7s), Norris (McLaren) 4th, Hadjar (Red Bull) 5th; Antonelli DNF (mechanical, 11th). Sprint (Jul 5): Antonelli 1st, Hamilton 2nd, Norris 3rd. Qualifying: Antonelli pole, Leclerc P2, Hamilton P3. Antonelli retains championship lead despite DNF. Sources: formula1.com, The Race, Sky Sports.
The context
The 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone marks one of the season’s most anticipated weekends, combining the sport’s spiritual home with a sprint format that has already delivered action before Sunday’s main event even begins.
Sprint race, Saturday July 5. Kimi Antonelli converted his front-row start into a sprint race victory, overtaking polesitter Lewis Hamilton mid-race and managing his advantage to the chequered flag. For the championship-leading Italian, it was another demonstration of the composure that has defined his debut season. For Hamilton, a sprint pole in his Ferrari colours at Silverstone, the circuit he has won at eight times in his career, was a moment charged with emotion, even if the sprint result didn’t deliver a win.
Sprint qualifying, Friday July 4. Hamilton’s 1m 28.376s was edged by just 0.011 seconds over Antonelli, the narrowest of margins that set up a front-row battle for the sprint. Max Verstappen was third, George Russell fourth, Charles Leclerc fifth, Oscar Piastri sixth.
The main race on Sunday July 6 is set over the full 52-lap Grand Prix distance. Silverstone’s circuit has been resurfaced ahead of the 2026 event, and the new 2026-spec cars, with their active aerodynamics and 50/50 electric-combustion power units, are expected to produce some of the fastest lap times the track has ever seen.
Grand Prix qualifying, Saturday July 5. Kimi Antonelli carried his sprint momentum into Grand Prix qualifying, putting in a dominant pole lap of 1:28.111, 0.175 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in second. Lewis Hamilton, who had taken sprint pole by 0.011 seconds from Antonelli on Friday, qualified third (+0.347s), giving Ferrari two cars in the top three for Sunday’s race. George Russell (Mercedes) lines up fourth, Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) fifth, Lando Norris (McLaren) sixth, and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) seventh. It is Antonelli’s fifth pole of the 2026 season. Sources: formula1.com, Sky Sports, Planet F1.
Race result, Sunday July 6. The 2026 British Grand Prix ended in drama. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli suffered a mechanical failure mid-race and retired, eventually classified 11th. From second on the grid, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) capitalised on Antonelli’s retirement to take his first Silverstone win and Ferrari’s first British Grand Prix victory since 2022. George Russell (Mercedes) was a strong second (+0.4s), Lewis Hamilton completed a Ferrari 1-3 (+0.7s), and Lando Norris was fourth for McLaren. Max Verstappen, who had also struggled with the new car’s active aerodynamics in the changeable conditions, could not make the podium. Antonelli retains the Drivers’ Championship lead but the race underlined that Ferrari and Mercedes are fully in contention for both titles. Sources: formula1.com, The Race, Sky Sports, Motorsport Week.
Your searches: F1 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix 2026: Piastri wins, Norris 2nd, Leclerc 3rd
Silverstone set up the next twist of the formula 1 2026 season, with Norris converting pole into a McLaren 1-2 in Hungary.
Silverstone was one of the emotional high points of the formula 1 2026 season, and Zandvoort’s farewell race promises another.