RACING
F1 British Grand Prix 2026 Winners and Losers: Ferrari Takes Control at Silverstone
The 2026 British Grand Prix delivered one of the season’s biggest turning points, with Ferrari emerging as the team to beat while Red Bull, McLaren and Haas left Silverstone with more questions than answers.
The F1 British Grand Prix 2026 winners and losers list reflects just how quickly Formula 1’s competitive order can change. Ferrari celebrated another breakthrough victory, Mercedes remained firmly in the championship fight despite reliability concerns, while Red Bull endured one of its most frustrating weekends of the season.
Several midfield teams also took advantage of the chaos, collecting valuable points as the battle for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship tightened.
Winner: Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc enjoyed his strongest weekend of the season.
After struggling to find confidence with the Ferrari SF-26 over recent races, the Monegasque driver qualified on the front row before taking control of the race with an excellent start.
More importantly, Leclerc admitted he finally recovered the confidence that had been missing for several Grand Prix weekends.
According to the Ferrari driver, recent setup changes have transformed the way the SF-26 behaves at the limit, giving him greater confidence during qualifying and the race.
Charles Leclerc claimed one of Ferrari’s biggest victories of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Loser: Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli looked capable of challenging for victory before reliability problems ruined his afternoon.
Damage to the wheel assembly created handling issues that eventually contributed to multiple track-limits violations and a five-second penalty.
Although Mercedes questioned the circumstances, Antonelli’s race quickly unraveled after what had started as another impressive weekend.
Winner: George Russell
George Russell benefited from Antonelli’s misfortune to secure another valuable podium finish.
While Russell admitted he probably lacked the pace to finish second on pure speed, the result keeps him firmly in the championship battle.
The Mercedes driver also continues reducing the gap to the championship leaders as consistency becomes increasingly important.
George Russell capitalized on a chaotic race to score another important podium.
Loser: Red Bull
Red Bull endured another difficult weekend.
Max Verstappen battled poor balance, engine deployment issues and gearbox problems before retiring following a rear wing failure at high speed.
Meanwhile, Isack Hadjar continued struggling with poor race starts, although he still salvaged valuable points with a fifth-place finish.
The combination of reliability concerns and performance deficits leaves Red Bull with significant work before Spa-Francorchamps.
Winner: Racing Bulls
Racing Bulls continued its impressive rise through the midfield.
Liam Lawson reached Q3 for the fourth consecutive weekend, while Arvid Lindblad scored points for the second race in a row.
Both drivers finished inside the top seven, allowing Racing Bulls to move within one point of Alpine in the Constructors’ Championship.
The Faenza-based team has become one of Formula 1’s biggest surprises in 2026.
Racing Bulls continued its impressive midfield charge with another double points finish.
Loser: McLaren
McLaren’s difficult run continued at Silverstone.
Lando Norris recovered to finish fourth after several retirements ahead, but the MCL40 still lacked the pace to challenge Ferrari and Mercedes.
Oscar Piastri’s race effectively ended on the opening lap after sustaining front-wing damage, leaving the team with another disappointing points haul.
With another upgrade package not expected until Hungary, McLaren faces a difficult stretch of races.
Winner: Gabriel Bortoleto
Gabriel Bortoleto delivered one of the standout drives of the weekend.
The Brazilian finished eighth, giving Audi its first points since the season opener in Australia.
Despite lacking straight-line speed, Bortoleto managed the race brilliantly and comfortably held off both Alpine drivers to secure an emotional result for the team.
Loser: Haas
Haas continues sliding backward in the midfield battle.
Neither Esteban Ocon nor Oliver Bearman challenged for points, extending the team’s scoreless streak to three consecutive race weekends.
Slow pit stops, race incidents and the lack of performance upgrades continue hurting Haas as rival teams make steady progress.
The F1 British Grand Prix 2026 winners and losers highlighted a major shift in Formula 1’s competitive order. Ferrari appears to have established itself as Mercedes’ biggest rival at the front, while Red Bull and McLaren continue searching for answers after another frustrating weekend. Behind them, Racing Bulls and Gabriel Bortoleto emerged as some of Silverstone’s biggest success stories, proving once again that momentum can change quickly in one of Formula 1’s most competitive seasons.
Formula 1 teams are discovering that modern power units can create significant performance gaps between teammates, even in identical cars.
Modern F1 power units are becoming one of the biggest factors separating teammates on track. According to McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella, today’s hybrid systems can create noticeable differences in lap time even when two drivers are using identical cars.
The issue became particularly visible during qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix, where small variations in energy deployment affected the performances of McLaren and Mercedes drivers.
Modern F1 power units can produce different performance levels even between identical cars.
Why F1 Power Units Affect Driver Performance
Unlike previous generations of Formula 1 engines, modern F1 power units rely on sophisticated software that constantly manages electrical energy deployment throughout a lap.
Instead of following a fixed strategy, the system makes calculations in real time based on multiple variables. That means two identical cars may not always deliver electrical power in exactly the same way, creating small but crucial differences in acceleration and top speed.
Teams continue working to optimize electrical energy deployment during each lap.
Andrea Stella Explains the Challenge
Andrea Stella explained that Oscar Piastri lost valuable time during qualifying because his power unit deployed electrical energy differently than Lando Norris’ system.
The McLaren boss also pointed to similar patterns inside Mercedes, where George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli experienced comparable differences despite driving identical machinery.
Andrea Stella says energy deployment can influence qualifying performance.
Teams Continue Improving F1 Power Units
Formula 1 teams continue refining the software and simulation tools used to manage F1 power units before every race weekend. These systems help engineers optimize energy deployment, gearbox settings and driving techniques to maximize performance.
As hybrid technology becomes even more sophisticated, mastering power unit management could remain one of the biggest competitive advantages in Formula 1.
Aston Martin’s struggles continued at Spa-Francorchamps, highlighting the need for the team’s highly anticipated Formula 1 upgrade package.
The Aston Martin Spa weekend exposed the team’s biggest weaknesses as Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll struggled to compete during qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps. Despite extracting everything possible from the AMR26, Aston Martin fell well short of reaching Q2, underlining how urgently the team needs its upcoming upgrade package.
Spa is one of Formula 1’s most demanding circuits because it combines long full-throttle sections with high-speed corners that require strong aerodynamic performance. Those conditions made Aston Martin’s current limitations impossible to hide.
Aston Martin faced another difficult qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps.
Aston Martin Spa Performance Highlights AMR26 Weaknesses
The Aston Martin Spa performance revealed significant shortcomings in both aerodynamic efficiency and straight-line speed. The AMR26 continued to lose valuable time through the middle sector, where downforce plays a crucial role, while also struggling to match rivals on the long straights.
According to the team, Aston Martin has intentionally limited development throughout the season to focus its resources on a comprehensive upgrade package rather than introducing small incremental changes.
Aston Martin is preparing a major upgrade package expected to debut soon.
Fernando Alonso Maximizes Every Opportunity
Fernando Alonso once again demonstrated his experience by positioning his car behind Charles Leclerc on the Kemmel Straight to benefit from a slipstream during his final qualifying attempt.
Although the tactic helped maximize the lap, it was not enough to overcome the AMR26’s performance deficit. Alonso later explained that the team continues to push every detail while waiting for a more competitive package.
Fernando Alonso used Leclerc’s slipstream in an effort to improve his qualifying lap.
Aston Martin Looks Ahead to Its New Package
The difficult Aston Martin Spa weekend reinforces why the team is placing so much importance on its upcoming upgrade. The revised package is expected to include a lighter chassis and additional performance improvements aimed at making the AMR26 more competitive during the second half of the Formula 1 season.
Honda is also preparing further power unit developments later in the year, giving Aston Martin hope that both aerodynamic and engine improvements can help close the gap to its rivals.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured a memorable victory at Spa-Francorchamps after defeating Charles Leclerc and capitalizing on George Russell’s early retirement.
The Antonelli Belgian GP victory marked another milestone in the young Mercedes driver’s Formula 1 career. Andrea Kimi Antonelli recovered from a strategic setback to overtake Charles Leclerc and win the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, while teammate George Russell retired on the opening lap following contact with Lewis Hamilton.
Antonelli’s victory came after a dramatic race at Spa-Francorchamps, where changing strategies, Virtual Safety Cars and late overtakes reshaped the fight for the win.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli celebrates victory at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix.
Antonelli Belgian GP Battle With Leclerc
The Antonelli Belgian GP fight intensified after Leclerc inherited the lead thanks to a well-timed Virtual Safety Car pit stop. Ferrari briefly appeared to have the advantage, but Antonelli steadily closed the gap during the final stages of the race.
With just over 10 laps remaining, the Mercedes driver used the Kemmel Straight to overtake Leclerc before pulling away to secure the victory by nearly two seconds.
Charles Leclerc challenged Antonelli until the closing laps at Spa.
Russell’s Retirement Changes the Championship Fight
George Russell’s race ended before it truly began after first-lap contact with Lewis Hamilton forced the Mercedes driver to retire immediately.
The incident proved crucial, allowing Antonelli to maximize his points haul while Mercedes avoided losing the race win despite Russell’s early exit.
George Russell retired on the opening lap after contact with Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen Completes the Podium
Max Verstappen finished third after battling both Ferrari and McLaren throughout the race. Lewis Hamilton recovered from a time penalty to finish fourth, while Oscar Piastri completed the top five.
Further back, Isack Hadjar impressed by climbing from 21st to sixth, while Gabriel Bortoleto, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto rounded out the top ten after an action-packed Belgian Grand Prix.
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