2026 British Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Round 9 of the 2026 F1 season headed to the home of F1 at the Silverstone Circuit, for the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix 2026.

Ben Bush

By Ben Bush
Published on July 5, 2026
Updated on July 9, 2026

Reviewed and checked by Lee Parker

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Charles Leclerc 2026 British GP Winner
Charles Leclerc 2026 British GP Winner // Image: Ferrari Media

Formula 1 returned to one of its most iconic venues as the British Grand Prix took centre stage at Silverstone, with the historic Northamptonshire circuit hosting the ninth round of the 2026 F1 World Championship. One of the sport’s most celebrated events, the British Grand Prix combines generations of motorsport heritage with one of the most passionate atmospheres on the calendar, as hundreds of thousands of fans descend on the home of F1.

Race Guide

Championship: 2026 F1 World Championship
Race date: Sunday, 5 July 2026
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Silverstone Circuit
Laps: 52
Circuit length: 5.891km
2025 winner: Lando Norris

Pole position
DriverKimi AntonelliMercedes
Time1:28.111
Fastest lap
DriverKimi AntonelliMercedes
Time1:31.777 on lap 37
Podium
FirstCharles LeclercFerrari
SecondGeorge RussellMercedes
ThirdLewis HamiltonFerrari

Silverstone also welcomed Sprint racing back for the first time since 2021, making this the fourth Sprint event of the 2026 season. The condensed weekend format meant every session carried extra weight, with Friday setting the grid for Saturday’s Sprint before the shorter race itself would offer valuable championship points ahead of Sunday’s full-distance Grand Prix.

The British Grand Prix arrived immediately after Austria, giving teams and drivers barely any time to reset before tackling one of Formula 1’s fastest and most demanding circuits. With momentum becoming increasingly important in the 2026 F1 World Championship, Silverstone’s high-speed corners, unpredictable weather and electric home support could prove pivotal in shaping both the race weekend and the championship fight.

Silverstone Stats

Few Grand Prix carry the weight of history quite like the British Grand Prix, and Silverstone, widely regarded as the home of British motorsport, it staged the inaugural Formula One World Championship race in 1950. Along with the Italian Grand Prix, the British Grand Prix is one of only two races to have featured in every Formula 1 season, cementing its place at the very heart of the sport.

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Measuring 3.661 miles (5.891km), Silverstone is one of Formula 1’s fastest and most rewarding circuits. Overtaking opportunities begin early into The Loop before the lap flows into the iconic Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel sequence, where drivers thread their cars through high-speed direction changes with remarkable precision. From there, the Hangar Straight allows cars to exceed 200mph before the heavy braking zone at Stowe provides another of the circuit’s best passing opportunities. The combination of high-speed corners, long straights and unpredictable British weather has consistently made Silverstone one of the season’s greatest challenges.

The circuit has been the backdrop for countless legendary moments. Lewis Hamilton stands alone as the most successful driver in British Grand Prix history, with nine victories on home soil, while Jim Clark dominated the event throughout the 1960s, claiming five wins during the decade. One of Silverstone’s most unique records dates back to 1957, when Tony Brooks and Stirling Moss shared victory for Vanwall after swapping cars mid-race – the only time the British Grand Prix has produced joint winners.

Weekend Schedule

DateSessionLocal Time
3 July 2026Free Practice 1 (FP1)12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time
3 July 2026Sprint Qualifying4:30 pm – 5:14 pm local time
4 July 2026Sprint12:00 pm – 1:00 pm local time
4 July 2026Qualifying4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time
5 July 2026Race3:00 pm local time

Championship background

The fight for the championship heading into Silverstone saw plenty still to play for after George Russell reignited his title challenge by winning the Austrian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver reduced Kimi Antonelli‘s advantage at the top of the standings to 40 points and arrived at his home race searching for a first British Grand Prix victory.

There was also huge attention on Lewis Hamilton as Formula 1 returned to British soil. The nine-time British Grand Prix winner remained one of the biggest attractions of the weekend, but the Ferrari driver needed a statement result after a frustrating outing in Austria if he was to revive his own championship ambitions. Meanwhile, defending Silverstone winner Lando Norris would be hoping McLaren could once again deliver the pace required to fight at the front, although repeating last year’s emotional home victory promised to be an even tougher challenge.

British interest extended throughout the grid, with Haas rookie Oliver Bearman and Racing Bulls youngster Arvid Lindblad aiming to score valuable points in front of a home crowd. Yet the home favourites would have no shortage of rivals. Max Verstappen had made a habit of spoiling celebrations on enemy territory and could not be discounted, while Antonelli remained the man everyone had to beat. Despite failing to win either of the last two Grand Prix, the championship leader had consistently demonstrated race-winning speed throughout 2026 and arrived at Silverstone determined to strengthen his grip on the title.

Race entries

The lineup of drivers and teams remained the same as the 2026 season’s entry list, featuring no reserve drivers for the race.

Tyre choices

Pirelli selected the hardest compounds in its 2026 range for the British Grand Prix, with the C1, C2 and C3 tyres making up the allocation for Silverstone’s demanding high-speed layout. Despite the circuit’s relatively smooth surface, the immense loads generated through its sweeping corners place some of the greatest stresses of the season on the tyres, with lateral forces exceeding 5g in sections comparable to Suzuka and Spa-Francorchamps.

2026 British Grand Prix Pirelli Tyres
2026 British Grand Prix Pirelli Tyres

The left-front tyre was expected to endure the greatest punishment thanks to Silverstone’s succession of high-speed right-hand corners, while the combination of rapid direction changes and long, fast corners would make tyre management a key factor throughout the weekend. Although the circuit offers strong grip due to its year-round use by both motorcycle and car racing categories, degradation has always remained significant because of the sustained cornering forces.

Strategy was expected to centre around a one-stop race on Sunday, with teams likely to favour the C2 and C3 compounds. The medium C2 was expected to be the workhorse tyre, while the softer C3 offered greater performance but had historically been more susceptible to graining. The hardest C1 compound was expected to feature heavily during Friday’s only practice session, as the Sprint format left teams with limited time to evaluate their long-run pace before parc fermé conditions came into effect.

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Free Practice

Lewis Hamilton made the ideal start to his home weekend by topping the only practice session for the Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver set the benchmark with a lap of 1m 29.260s to finish ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli and team-mate Charles Leclerc, while George Russell and Oscar Piastri completed the top five.

Full Free Practice Report

Free Practice 1 Classification

2026 British Grand Prix FP1, 3 July 2026

Pos.No.DriverTeamTime / GapLaps
144Lewis HamiltonFerrari1:29.26032
212Kimi AntonelliMercedes+0.213s29
316Charles LeclercFerrari+0.599s31
463George RussellMercedes+0.678s31
581Oscar PiastriMcLaren+0.887s25
63Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing+0.980s27
71Lando NorrisMcLaren+1.028s27
86Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing+1.078s28
927Nico HulkenbergAudi+1.483s29
1030Liam LawsonRacing Bulls+1.590s28
1143Franco ColapintoAlpine+1.706s28
125Gabriel BortoletoAudi+1.775s28
1341Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls+2.079s32
1487Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team+2.113s27
1555Carlos SainzWilliams+2.424s33
1631Esteban OconHaas F1 Team+2.424s27
1723Alexander AlbonWilliams+2.437s30
1877Valtteri BottasCadillac+2.890s22
1911Sergio PerezCadillac+2.981s23
2014Fernando AlonsoAston Martin+3.697s25
2110Pierre GaslyAlpine+3.759s25
2218Lance StrollAston Martin+3.870s26

Sprint Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton secured Sprint pole position for the British Grand Prix after producing a superb final lap to edge out championship leader Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds. The Ferrari driver continued his impressive Friday form after topping the only practice session, setting a benchmark of 1m 28.376s to claim the front spot for Saturday’s Sprint. Max Verstappen qualified third for Red Bull ahead of Charles Leclerc, while George Russell completed the top five despite struggling to match the pace of the leading trio throughout the session.

McLaren endured a relatively subdued qualifying with home favourite Lando Norris sixth ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri, while Isack Hadjar impressed in eighth for Red Bull. Liam Lawson and British rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10, as Pierre Gasly narrowly missed out on SQ3 in 11th. Ollie Bearman was eliminated in SQ1 by just 0.010 seconds, while Aston Martin suffered a difficult session with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll qualifying on the back row.

Sprint Qualifying Classification

2026 British Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying, 3 July 2026

Pos.No.DriverTeamQ1Q2Q3Laps
144Lewis HamiltonFerrari1:29.2731:28.7471:28.37614
212Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:29.7461:28.8461:28.38715
33Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing1:29.6891:29.2421:28.69712
416Charles LeclercFerrari1:29.3801:28.9221:28.70314
563George RussellMercedes1:29.6751:29.2461:28.73315
61Lando NorrisMcLaren1:30.1421:29.4011:28.74015
781Oscar PiastriMcLaren1:29.5831:29.1201:28.77212
86Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing1:29.4701:29.2801:28.83514
930Liam LawsonRacing Bulls1:29.8501:29.0671:28.92712
1041Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls1:30.4531:29.3301:29.36712
1110Pierre GaslyAlpine1:30.4441:29.4829
125Gabriel BortoletoAudi1:30.4071:29.67912
1327Nico HulkenbergAudi1:30.1071:29.70712
1443Franco ColapintoAlpine1:30.8941:29.9839
1555Carlos SainzWilliams1:31.0731:30.19712
1623Alexander AlbonWilliams1:30.7791:30.65013
1787Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team1:31.0836
1831Esteban OconHaas F1 Team1:31.7146
1911Sergio PerezCadillac1:31.7766
2077Valtteri BottasCadillac1:32.0206
2114Fernando AlonsoAston Martin1:32.9105
2218Lance StrollAston Martin1:32.9885

Sprint Race

Kimi Antonelli claimed the first Sprint victory of his Formula 1 career after overtaking Lewis Hamilton to win an entertaining 100km race at Silverstone. Hamilton led away from Sprint pole and kept Antonelli behind through the opening laps, but the Mercedes driver remained within striking distance before making the decisive pass on Lap 8. From there, Antonelli controlled the race to take the chequered flag 2.745 seconds clear, extending his advantage in the championship.

Full Sprint Report

Hamilton settled for second on home soil, while Lando Norris completed the podium after holding off George Russell throughout the Sprint. Charles Leclerc finished fifth ahead of Max Verstappen, with Oscar Piastri and Liam Lawson claiming the remaining points-paying positions. Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg were both referred to the stewards after the race, while Sergio Perez received a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Fernando Alonso.

Sprint Classification

2026 British Grand Prix Sprint Race, 4 July 2026

Pos.No.DriverTeamLapsTime / RetiredPts.
112Kimi AntonelliMercedes1726:12.1298
244Lewis HamiltonFerrari17+2.745s7
31Lando NorrisMcLaren17+9.783s6
463George RussellMercedes17+10.639s5
516Charles LeclercFerrari17+12.620s4
63Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing17+16.550s3
781Oscar PiastriMcLaren17+17.551s2
830Liam LawsonRacing Bulls17+30.233s1
96Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing17+30.953s0
1041Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls17+35.110s0
1110Pierre GaslyAlpine17+40.273s0
1243Franco ColapintoAlpine17+41.026s0
1327Nico HulkenbergAudi17+41.680s0
145Gabriel BortoletoAudi17+42.499s0
1587Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team17+45.784s0
1631Esteban OconHaas F1 Team17+49.810s0
1755Carlos SainzWilliams17+50.379s0
1823Alexander AlbonWilliams17+50.757s0
1977Valtteri BottasCadillac17+75.117s0
2014Fernando AlonsoAston Martin17+91.872s0
2118Lance StrollAston Martin16+1 lap0
2211Sergio PerezCadillac16+1 lap0

Qualifying

Kimi Antonelli secured his fifth Grand Prix pole position of the 2026 season after producing a stunning final lap to top Qualifying. The Mercedes driver posted a 1m 28.111s to edge out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.175 seconds, while Lewis Hamilton completed the top three on home soil. George Russell qualified fourth ahead of an impressive Isack Hadjar, with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen only sixth and seventh respectively after both endured challenging sessions.

Full Qualifying Report

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished eighth, while Racing Bulls duo Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completed the top 10. Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly missed out on Q3 in 11th, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon both facing post-session investigations. At the back, Aston Martin endured another disappointing qualifying as Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso locked out the final row.

Qualifying Classification

2026 British Grand Prix Qualifying, 4 July 2026

Pos.No.DriverTeamQ1Q2Q3Laps
112Kimi AntonelliMercedes1:29.7191:28.4931:28.11119
216Charles LeclercFerrari1:29.5341:28.6261:28.28618
344Lewis HamiltonFerrari1:29.6441:28.8641:28.45817
463George RussellMercedes1:29.9851:28.9201:28.48117
56Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing1:29.2761:29.0691:28.74618
61Lando NorrisMcLaren1:30.1861:29.3831:28.87717
73Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing1:29.5491:29.1131:28.89318
881Oscar PiastriMcLaren1:29.9711:29.2181:29.03218
941Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls1:29.6611:29.3241:29.30517
1030Liam LawsonRacing Bulls1:29.3001:29.4291:29.71620
115Gabriel BortoletoAudi1:30.2691:29.46110
1210Pierre GaslyAlpine1:30.3451:30.06312
1327Nico HulkenbergAudi1:29.5391:30.07615
1487Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team1:30.5701:30.50115
1555Carlos SainzWilliams1:30.5621:30.62315
1623Alexander AlbonWilliams1:30.6381:31.34114
1731Esteban OconHaas F1 Team1:30.6809
1877Valtteri BottasCadillac1:31.2278
1943Franco ColapintoAlpine1:31.3215
2011Sergio PerezCadillac1:31.4519
2118Lance StrollAston Martin1:32.8639
2214Fernando AlonsoAston Martin1:33.0259

What happened in the 2026 British Grand Prix?

Charles Leclerc emerged victorious from a dramatic British Grand Prix after a late reliability problem denied Kimi Antonelli what had looked set to be another crucial victory in the 2026 F1 World Championship. The Ferrari driver controlled much of the race before inheriting the lead for good when Antonelli’s challenge unravelled, while a late Safety Car following Max Verstappen’s crash froze the order and secured Ferrari’s win at Silverstone.

The race burst into life from the moment the lights went out. Starting from the front row, Antonelli was immediately placed under pressure by both Ferraris, with Leclerc making a superb getaway to seize the lead and Lewis Hamilton also finding a way past the Mercedes into second. Although Antonelli soon regrouped and reclaimed the runner-up position from Hamilton, Leclerc had already established control at the front of the field.

Ferrari’s race leader remained comfortably in command throughout the opening stint, only surrendering first place when making his scheduled pit stop. That briefly promoted Antonelli into the lead as Mercedes committed to a longer opening stint, allowing the Italian to build an advantage before finally diving into the pits on Lap 36.

Rejoining the race, Antonelli immediately began closing the gap to Leclerc and looked poised to launch a decisive attack for victory. However, the complexion of the race changed dramatically just five laps later when the Mercedes driver reported a problem with his car. The team identified the issue as a suspected failure of the left-front wheel shield, forcing Antonelli into the pits for further attention.

The unscheduled repairs completely destroyed the championship leader’s race. After making two additional pit stops, Antonelli returned to the circuit but had fallen outside the points battle, before his difficult afternoon worsened further when he received a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.

The closing stages delivered even more drama. On Lap 48, Max Verstappen lost control and spun into the gravel trap, bringing out the Safety Car and immediately ending any hopes of a late fight for victory. With insufficient laps remaining to resume racing, the field stayed behind the Safety Car until the chequered flag.

Leclerc crossed the finish line to secure the ninth victory of his Formula 1 career and an important result for Ferrari. Behind him, Mercedes’ George Russell produced one of the most opportunistic drives of the afternoon by remaining on track while several rivals pitted during the Safety Car period, allowing him to leapfrog Hamilton and claim second place.

Hamilton completed the podium at his home Grand Prix after another competitive performance throughout the weekend, although the Ferrari driver faced a post-race investigation for an alleged yellow flag infringement that ultimately ended in a warning and no penalty.

Lando Norris narrowly missed out on the podium but still secured fourth place for McLaren in front of the Silverstone crowd. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar continued his impressive run of form by taking fifth, while Racing Bulls celebrated another strong team performance with Liam Lawson and British rookie Arvid Lindblad finishing sixth and seventh, respectively.

Audi added valuable points to its tally through Gabriel Bortoleto in eighth, while Alpine duo Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10 after Antonelli’s late misfortune dropped the Mercedes driver out of contention.

Oscar Piastri endured a frustrating afternoon after suffering damage on the opening lap, forcing an immediate pit stop that effectively ended his hopes of scoring points. The McLaren driver eventually finished 11th, ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz in 12th. However, Sainz has dropped to P17 after being handed a one-lap penalty.

Sainz was judged to have incorrectly unlapped himself under the late safety car period, resulting in an intervention from the stewards.

Having originally classified himself in 12th place, the extra lap added to his race dropped him to 17th.

Haas pair Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon took a revised finish (after Sainz’s penalty) of 12th and 13th, respectively, while Sergio Perez in the Cadillac took 14th. Antonelli, despite leading significant portions of the race and looking set for victory before his reliability problems, was ultimately classified 15th after his five-second penalty was applied.

Valtteri Bottas finished 16th for Cadillac, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completing the list of classified finishers.

Three drivers failed to reach the chequered flag. Verstappen’s afternoon ended in the gravel following his late accident that triggered the decisive Safety Car, Alex Albon retired his Williams after continuing to gather data despite an early collision with Bearman, and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg also dropped out with a mechanical issue.

While Antonelli reflected on a terrible race outcome, Ferrari left Silverstone with a memorable win, and Mercedes were left wondering what might have been.

2026 British Grand Prix race results

The 2026 British Grand Prix was held on 5 July 2026 at 3:00 pm local time.

Pos.No.DriverTeamLapsTime / RetiredPts.
116Charles LeclercFerrari5201:27:1125
263George RussellMercedes52+0.427s18
344Lewis HamiltonFerrari52+0.772s15
41Lando NorrisMcLaren52+1.149s12
56Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing52+1.598s10
630Liam LawsonRacing Bulls52+2.023s8
741Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls52+2.214s6
85Gabriel BortoletoAudi52+2.413s4
943Franco ColapintoAlpine52+3.229s2
1010Pierre GaslyAlpine52+3.445s1
1181Oscar PiastriMcLaren52+4.014s0
1287Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team52+5.245s0
1331Esteban OconHaas F1 Team52+5.512s0
1411Sergio PerezCadillac52+7.403s0
1512Kimi AntonelliMercedes52+8.005s0
1677Valtteri BottasCadillac52+8.162s0
1755Carlos SainzWilliams51+1 lap0
1814Fernando AlonsoAston Martin51+1 lap0
1918Lance StrollAston Martin51+1 lap0
203Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing46DNF0
NC23Alexander AlbonWilliams43DNF0
NC27Nico HulkenbergAudi36DNF0
Note: Kimi Antonelli received a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits. Sainz received a one-lap penalty for overtaking the Safety Car.

2026 British Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.No.DriverTeamLapTime of DayTimeAvg. Speed
112Kimi AntonelliMercedes3716:02:271:31.777231.077
23Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing4016:07:541:32.101230.264
36Isack HadjarRed Bull Racing4016:08:181:32.268229.847
444Lewis HamiltonFerrari2515:43:561:32.309229.745
563George RussellMercedes3616:01:241:32.489229.298
61Lando NorrisMcLaren4516:15:511:32.625228.961
755Carlos SainzWilliams5116:29:041:32.734228.692
816Charles LeclercFerrari4316:12:041:32.871228.355
981Oscar PiastriMcLaren4316:12:261:32.917228.242
1027Nico HulkenbergAudi3716:02:331:33.433226.981
1141Arvid LindbladRacing Bulls2915:50:491:33.632226.499
1230Liam LawsonRacing Bulls4516:16:131:33.648226.460
135Gabriel BortoletoAudi3015:52:241:33.650226.455
1423Alexander AlbonWilliams4516:15:231:33.867225.932
1510Pierre GaslyAlpine4416:15:081:34.179225.183
1643Franco ColapintoAlpine2515:44:391:34.281224.940
1787Oliver BearmanHaas F1 Team3215:54:421:34.455224.525
1831Esteban OconHaas F1 Team4416:14:091:34.792223.727
1911Sergio PerezCadillac4516:16:001:35.520222.022
2014Fernando AlonsoAston Martin5116:29:121:35.827221.311
2177Valtteri BottasCadillac3215:55:121:35.893221.159
2218Lance StrollAston Martin4316:12:191:37.232218.113

2026 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2026 British Grand Prix.

2026 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POSDriverNationalityCarPTS
1Kimi AntonelliITAMercedes179
2George RussellGBRMercedes154
3Lewis HamiltonGBRFerrari147
4Charles LeclercMONFerrari108
5Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren97
6Oscar PiastriAUSMcLaren82
7Max VerstappenNEDRed Bull Racing76
8Isack HadjarFRARed Bull Racing52
9Pierre GaslyFRAAlpine42
10Liam LawsonNZLRacing Bulls39
11Arvid LindbladGBRRacing Bulls20
12Oliver BearmanGBRHaas F1 Team18
13Franco ColapintoARGAlpine18
14Gabriel BortoletoBRAAudi6
15Carlos SainzESPWilliams6
16Alexander AlbonTHAWilliams5
17Esteban OconFRAHaas F1 Team3
18Fernando AlonsoESPAston Martin1
19Nico HulkenbergGERAudi0
20Valtteri BottasFINCadillac0
21Sergio PerezMEXCadillac0
22Lance StrollCANAston Martin0

2026 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POSCarPTS
1Mercedes333
2Ferrari255
3McLaren179
4Red Bull Racing128
5Alpine60
6Racing Bulls59
7Haas F1 Team21
8Williams11
9Audi6
10Aston Martin1
11Cadillac0

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Ben Bush

Staff Writer

Ben Bush

Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.