Charles Leclerc took Ferrari’s second win in three races in a dramatic British Grand Prix as chaos broke out in the closing stages.
Leclerc, claiming his first victory for nearly two years, led home Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton as the race finished confusingly under a safety car.
Race control initially said the safety car would be coming in with one lap to go, setting the scene for a thrilling one-lap dash to the finish, but it then stayed out, meaning the order remained the same until the chequered flag.
After the race, a statement from governing body the FIA said “the ‘safety car in this lap’ message was displayed erroneously due to a software error”.
Silverstone has seen many remarkable races in its long history but this was one of the most extraordinary.
First, championship leader Kimi Antonelli suffered some kind of suspension failure when he was closing in on the Ferrari for the lead, and seemed set for another win.
As Antonelli dropped down the field, amid a series of increasingly desperate radio messages, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crashed at Stowe while chasing Hamilton for second place.
The safety car for that incident promoted Russell to second place as Mercedes decided not to pit the Briton while everyone else took fresh tyres.
Antonelli crossed the line ninth but was demoted to 16th by a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits – incurred while he was battling with the problems with his car.
Adding to the drama, Hamilton was investigated after the race for a yellow-flag infringement but Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur said stewards had decided not to impose a penalty.
The result has a major impact on the championship, narrowing Antonelli’s lead over Russell to 25 points. Hamilton is seven points further adrift.
Leclerc said he was “so incredibly happy” even though “unfortunately the end was maybe not the one I will have dreamt of”.
(The Whistler)
