Leclerc survives untelevised close call with former teammate Sainz at Silverstone

Also helped by Kimi Antonelli's front-left wheel shield failure, the Monegasque returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since the 2024 United States Grand Prix, boosting his title hopes and reclaiming fourth place in the drivers' standings.

However, it was far from a trouble-free race for the Ferrari driver, who was involved in a major scare at one stage. An onboard clip shows the Monegasque being squeezed on the straight by the Williams driver, who seemingly failed to notice his former teammate approaching from behind before only moving aside at the very last moment to give him room.

Once alongside the Spaniard, Leclerc also made a brief gesture of frustration before completing the move and continuing on his way. He eventually went on to secure victory, handing Ferrari its second win of the season.

Speaking after the race, Leclerc described the win as an incredible feeling after several difficult weekends, even if the ending was not exactly how he would have imagined it. The Ferrari driver explained that he and the team had worked hard to rediscover the right feeling with the car, something he first sensed after the Sprint and then confirmed in the race. After struggling in Monaco, Barcelona and Austria, he said Silverstone finally allowed him to put everything together and hoped to carry that momentum forward.

He also admitted that keeping Antonelli behind would have been difficult without the Italian’s technical issue, given the pace he had shown while closing the gap. Once he heard about Antonelli’s problem, Leclerc felt the race should have been under control, but the late Safety Car complicated things by forcing him to run slowly for a long time and leaving his tyres cold. While it may not have been ideal for the fans, he was relieved there was no restart, allowing him to hold on and secure the victory.