The British Grand Prix ended with victory for Charles Leclerc, frustration for the Silverstone crowd and an uncomfortable reminder of Formula 1’s most controversial modern finale.
A late crash for Max Verstappen brought out the safety car with only a handful of laps remaining. At first, it looked as though the race might restart for one final sprint to the flag, with Leclerc leading, George Russell in second and Lewis Hamilton close behind in third.
Instead, the safety car stayed out, and Leclerc crossed the line at reduced speed to seal Ferrari’s second win in three races.
According to The Guardian, the FIA later said the “Safety Car In This Lap” message had been displayed by mistake because of a software error.
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Safety car confusion revives Abu Dhabi memories
The mistake on the timing screens created a brief moment of confusion.
One message suggested the safety car would return to the pits. Moments later, race control confirmed it would remain on track. That meant there would be no racing restart, despite the field bunching up behind the safety car.
The decision immediately drew comparisons with the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when race director Michael Masi incorrectly applied the safety car rules before a final-lap restart that helped Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the world title.
This time, however, the FIA followed the regulations. The lapped cars had not completed the required procedure in time, and the race therefore had to finish behind the safety car.
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Quoted by The Times, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “I would have preferred this to happen in [Abu Dhabi] 2021, that was more important.”
He added: “Show follows sport and not the other way around.”
For Wolff, the ending was not spectacular, but it was correct. After Abu Dhabi, that distinction matters.
Leclerc wins as Ferrari momentum grows
For Ferrari, the strange finish did not take away from a strong afternoon.
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Leclerc held on to win ahead of Russell and Hamilton, giving Ferrari another major result in a season that has begun to swing in its direction. Hamilton’s podium also continued a run of improved performances after his own victory in Barcelona.
According to The Guardian’s live report, Verstappen’s late crash set up the safety car finish and removed the possibility of a conventional finale.
Ferrari had rolled the dice by bringing both Leclerc and Hamilton in during the late safety car period. Russell stayed out on older medium tyres, which moved him into second place, but the lack of a restart meant he never had to defend against Hamilton on fresher rubber.
It was an anticlimactic ending, but a valuable result for Ferrari.
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Antonelli’s race falls apart
Away from the safety car debate, the biggest championship story belonged to Kimi Antonelli.
The Mercedes driver arrived at Silverstone as championship leader, but left with his advantage sharply reduced after a miserable race. Antonelli reported steering problems, and Mercedes later discovered that a wheel shield had come loose inside the wheel assembly.
That forced him into two quick pit stops as the team tried to remove the damaged carbon-fibre part.
According to The Times, Antonelli eventually finished 16th after also receiving a penalty, while Russell’s second place cut the gap at the top of the drivers’ standings to 25 points.
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It was a brutal swing in a race where Antonelli had looked capable of strengthening his control of the championship.
Russell back in the fight
Russell did not celebrate Antonelli’s misfortune, but he admitted the title picture now looked more balanced.
The British driver had lost ground earlier in the season, including with a costly drive-through penalty in Monaco, and felt the new championship gap was a fairer reflection of the year so far.
Quoted by BBC Sport, Russell said: “He has done a better job than me this year to this point, so he deserves to be ahead of me.”
That honesty said plenty about the state of the Mercedes battle. Antonelli remains ahead, but the margin has narrowed. Hamilton, meanwhile, is also still close enough to keep pressure on both Mercedes drivers.
Silverstone therefore delivered two stories at once.
Ferrari left with another win and clear signs of growing pace. Mercedes left with a stronger Russell, a wounded Antonelli and a championship fight that suddenly looks far less comfortable.
The FIA avoided another Abu Dhabi-style rules controversy. But the echoes of 2021 were impossible to ignore.
