F1. Britain 2026 Review

Graeme: He came from nowhere with 5 laps to go to lead the race, and I thought he was finally going to win one, only to inexplicably pit at the last corner.  One day Bernd Maylander’s time will come.  Instead, I’ll go for Charles Leclerc.  It’s been a long time between drinks for the Monegasque driver.  His 9th Grand Prix victory will be one to savour and hopefully for Ferrari fans proof that both cars can challenge the Mercedes.

Chelsea: Based on interviews, Charles Leclerc has apparently undergone some sort of spiritual change of late. Impending fatherhood? Puppy yoga? Either way, he did manage to translate it into a confident and collected drive all weekend. For someone so consistently touted as a great driver, he should surely have more than nine race wins under his belt – barely more than one per season – but this weekend he gave a sign of what he could look like. It’s going to be a loooong road to his purported contract end in 2030 if he can’t find a way to perform more consistently.

Gavin: Charles Leclerc was the winner on the day, and overall the winner of the weekend for me. He finally came to terms with the new car to claim his first win in two years which is pretty timely for him as he was questioning his ability quite publicly.

Aiden: Just when it felt like Sir Lewis Hamilton was stamping his authority on the Ferrari team, Charles Leclerc came back strong. Second in qualifying was improved the following day with first race win in more than two years. The Italian outfit aren’t quite on a par with Mercedes yet, but things are definitely coming together and the man from Monaco is playing his part.

Talking Point
Graeme: It’s not a massive talking point but Ferrari choosing to pit Lewis Hamilton under the safety car near the end of the race didn’t turn out to be a sensible decision for them.  It was a Ferrari of old decision.  Anyone with common sense could tell that a 1 lap sprint was likely and by them wrongly assuming George Russell would pit as well, they simply handed Russell 2nd in the Grand Prix and some valuable points.  It was unnecessary in my opinion.

Chelsea: The final ten laps was when the race really got messy. Kimi Antonelli pitted with a suspected broken brake duct, emerging in 5th place only to pit again almost immediately. The problem was a broken wheel shield which left Antonelli unable to steer properly. If you can’t steer, you can’t stay on track, and if you can’t stay on track you eventually end up with a five second penalty for track limits violations. That’s exactly what happened to a very determined Kimi Antonelli, who probably would have pushed the Mercedes around Silverstone if he could. He finished out of the points in 16, meaning he effectively lost 16 points to his teammate George Russell, who finished second. Unreliability issues continue to plague Mercedes and seem to be the only factor holding them back from out-and-out domination of this season.

Gavin: That restart at the end of the race… We’ve been here before haven’t we? Well, maybe, but there was more on the line back then. Once again the FIA are not covering themselves with glory here as they muddle these things a bit too often, last time it was the Monaco pit lane speeding, and don’t forget the changing of podium places well after the race finished. Quite the season the official are having.

Aiden: Lego cars. Wow. So much action, so much distraction. For the record Fernando Alonso crossed the line first. Reports that his Lego car is actually as fast as his Aston Martin are as yet, unconfirmed.

Gossip Time
Graeme: I’ve seen some stories recently that Carlos Sainz is growing increasingly frustrated at Williams.  The Spaniard signed with them 2 years ago on the back of Williams promising they’re on the rise and that good things are coming.  They had a great year in 2025 comfortably securing 5th in the Constructors Championship and it was looking rosy, but this year has been a long way off the dream they sold Sainz.  A driver of his calibre isn’t going to sit around in that situation for long surely, so it’s “watch this space” I think.

Chelsea: Max Verstappen will be feeling more isolated and frustrated than ever after putting his Red Bull into the wall just four laps short of the chequered flag. The issue was mechanical failure – his rear wing failed to open, meaning he lost downforce and essentially careered off into the gravel to his doom. This is the sort of basic failure that will leave the likes of George Russell and Oscar Piastri very nervous – with Max genuinely on the market, either of them could be in the hunt for a new hunt come October. In Russell’s case especially, that has to affect his trophy hunt – particularly after a 2025 where he was left hanging until the last possible minute regarding his contract extension.

Gavin: Kimi Antonelli’s car broke and he could not steer, it robbed him of a very probably victory. And even though he kept coming back into the pits, and getting penalised for track limits he continued to try and get a point or two. All very admirable. But he was not happy with the track limit penalty and said he was struggling to control the car. If that is the case why did the stewards not wave whatever colour flag it is to get him to pit as the car was, in Kimi’s own words, unsafe? And they talk about British driver bias.

Aiden: With Max Verstappen acknowledging that he speaks to Christian Horner most weeks, what will the former Red Bull boss be saying to Verstappen about his future options? It really is starting to look as though the Dutchman will leave Red Bull in 2027, but his destination looks unclear. Who will wave the biggest amount of money to (a) pay off the contract of an existing driver and (b) fill Verstappen’s coffers. I’d be putting my TAB bonus bet on George Russell being told he’s surplus to requirements at Mercedes, even if he continues to close the gap at the top of this year’s drivers championship.

Looking Ahead

Graeme: Christian Horner was spotted around the paddock and on the grid at Silverstone.  Is this a sign that the former Red Bull Head is making a comeback in some form into F1?  Rumours abound surely.  Meanwhile, it’s a week off and into Spa Francorchamps, one of most the iconic circuits on the schedule.  Take it easy now folks and we’ll be back peeking through the trees in Belgium in two weeks.

Chelsea: Kimi Antonelli and George Russell are now exactly one race victory apart, so Mercedes’ reliability will be crucial for the driver’s championship in the next few races. The Racing Bulls are having a solid season, with Lawson sitting at 10th in the championship and his teammate Lindblad in 11th, nipping at the heels of their senior team in 7th and 8th. Esteban Ocon could potentially be fired at any moment, and young Brazilian Rafael Câmara is a name on the list of potential replacements. In short, there’s plenty to keep an eye on across the field, in a season that still feels like it’s warming up.

Gavin: A weekend off and then we are onto Belgium. A fantastic track that really tests a driver, and one that can exact the ultimate price if you get it wrong. It may be summer but the track is in a forest and the weather can be pretty unpredictable there so there could be some setup changes. Coupled with all the teams bringing along all their upgrade packages it is really difficult to see what could happen. If Mercedes can sort out their reliability issues I expect normal service to resume, if Ferrari can extract more straight line speed it might see them compete for the podium again. I don’t expect Lance Stroll to be picking up any points though.

Aiden: More Lego car races? Alas not. Well, not in Belgium anyway, which is where the drivers will reconvene in just over a week. Like Silverstone, Spa is another classic F1 circuit and although Oscar Piastri won a rain effected race last year, Mercedes and George Russell will be under pressure to get back to winning ways.

Bonus Picture(s)