Lewis Hamilton topped the podium at the British Grand Prix, finishing third behind Le Clerc and Russell

Late drama defined the British Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton secured a podium finish for Ferrari in third in a race that eventually ended behind the safety car. Hamilton, who had been fighting for a better result, was thwarted in the final stages after a decisive sequence of events that changed the order.

The turning point came when Max Verstappen crashed after four laps and triggered the safety car which neutralized the race. Ferrari decided to pit Hamilton during the caution period, which eventually moved him behind George Russell and out of contention for second as Charles Leclerc went on to win.

Despite earlier indications that the safety car might return to the pits on the final lap of the race, it stayed on track until the checkered flag, bringing a subdued finish to a tense Grand Prix. Russell inherited second place for Mercedes, while Hamilton completed the podium for Ferrari, but was investigated for a possible yellow flag violation.

Kimi Antonelli’s race unraveled after a strong start from pole position. The Mercedes driver, who was running second and catching up to Leclerc with 11 laps remaining, reported a developing problem and soon lost the pace. He ended up finishing 16th, a big loss that also reduced his championship lead to 25 points after nine rounds.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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Published on:

05 Jul 2026 21:09 IST