Charles Leclerc Restores Ferrari Feeling at British GP

Charles Leclerc believes the feeling in his car returned to the level required after winning the British GP 2026 at Silverstone, his first victory since the 2024 United States Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver claimed victory in the 52-lap race after making a strong start and taking the lead from pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli. Leclerc then extended his advantage, first over Lewis Hamilton and then Antonelli, before briefly losing the lead when he made his sole pit stop.

Leclerc moved back to the front when Antonelli also pitted, but the pressure was not fully over. The Mercedes driver began closing the gap on tyres that were 10 laps newer before a car issue slowed his progress and allowed Leclerc to control the race into its final phase.

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"It feels incredible. Unfortunately the end was maybe not the one I will have dreamt of, but to win after the last few weekends that have been particularly difficult, all the work that we put into trying to get the feeling back in the car," said Leclerc.

"I felt like I had found something yesterday between the Sprint and Qualifying but I had to confirm that today. And today, the feeling was back where it needs to be. I'm so incredibly happy."

The victory came after a difficult 2026 spell for Leclerc. Before Silverstone, he had not reached the podium since Japan in March, had suffered crashes in Monaco and Barcelona, and had been under performance pressure from Hamilton across recent weekends.

Leclerc also admitted that a fight with Antonelli could have become a serious threat had the race restarted under green-flag conditions. The late safety car left tyre temperatures dropping heavily, while the backmarker procedure kept the field circulating at very low speed.

"With Kimi it would have been close. He was very fast when he was coming towards me, so it would have been very difficult to keep that first place," said Leclerc.

"Then I heard he had a problem, so I was like 'okay, I have quite a big gap, it should be straightforward'. But then the Safety Car at the end, and then for whatever reason, I think some back markers had to pass us so I did all the Safety Car at 100, 120kph."

"My tyres were completely cold. So I was sceptical about the restart. It's not great for the fans that are here at the track, but in the helmet I was happy that there was not a restart to keep that win. It feels really good."

The result gives Leclerc important momentum after a difficult phase of the season and strengthens Ferrari’s competitive position against Mercedes. With the car feeling restored, the Silverstone victory becomes a key reference point for Leclerc heading into the next round.