Leclerc inherits dramatic British GP win as Antonelli and Verstappen suffer late heartbreak

The British Grand Prix got off to a dramatic start as Antonelli was unable to hold on to the lead from pole position. Charles Leclerc swept into first place, while Lewis Hamilton also found a way past the Mercedes driver to put Ferrari in a one-two after the opening corners.

George Russell attempted to pressure Antonelli early on but stayed behind his teammate. Isack Hadjar remained fifth, while Max Verstappen gained a position to climb to sixth by the end of the opening lap.

Lewis Hamilton was later handed a five-second penalty for a false start during the opening lap of the British Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver made an excellent launch off the line, following teammate Charles Leclerc past Kimi Antonelli to move into second place. However, the stewards quickly placed Hamilton under investigation after detecting wheel movement before the start.

The infringement was subsequently confirmed, resulting in a five-second time penalty to be served at his pit stop. At the time of the decision, Hamilton was running under pressure from Antonelli, who passed him a few laps later before setting off in pursuit of Leclerc for the race lead.

Shortly before the first round of pit stops, Verstappen also powered past Russell just before Copse. He then headed into the pits shortly afterwards for his first stop. The two contenders for victory opted for different strategies, with Leclerc pitting much earlier than Antonelli. The Italian instead chose to extend his stint as much as possible in a bid to reach the end of the race on fresher tyres.

After serving his penalty, Hamilton fought his way back by passing Russell first after an intense wheel-to-wheel battle, before overtaking Verstappen shortly afterwards to move back into a podium position.

After serving his penalty, Hamilton capitalised on Russell's slow puncture, which forced the Mercedes driver into the pits to avoid further issues, to move ahead of him. He then quickly closed in on Verstappen and overtook him a few laps later to reclaim third place.

Antonelli pitted on Lap 35, rejoining the track behind Leclerc before beginning his charge for victory, with the advantage of much fresher tyres. Nico Hulkenberg's retirement on Lap 39 brought out the Virtual Safety Car, allowing Max Verstappen to pit while losing significantly less time than under normal conditions. He rejoined the track just behind Hamilton.

The closing stages were packed with drama, as Antonelli was struck by a technical issue that forced him to slow down and return to the pits. The Italian dropped well out of the podium places and was left battling for 10th, while also carrying a five-second penalty for track limits. There was heartbreak for Verstappen too, with the Red Bull driver retiring five laps from the finish after his RB22 ended up in the gravel.

Leclerc therefore inherited the victory at the chequered flag, while Russell remarkably gained more points on his teammate. Lewis Hamilton completed the podium.