FIA shares reasons why the Safety Car stayed on track at the end of the British Grand Prix
The FIA has explained why the British Grand Prix ended under the safety car, clearing up the confusion felt by fans, experts, and drivers alike.
It was a wild race, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc taking his first win of the 2026 season and the team’s second win in just three races. Mercedes’ George Russell finished second, while Lewis Hamilton took third after getting a five-second penalty for starting too early.
Hamilton is also being looked at for possibly breaking yellow flag rules during the race. He told reporters at Silverstone that he’s expecting another penalty. “I can’t really remember,” he said. “I was in P2, then we stopped. The safety car was a surprise, and we did what we thought was best. Congrats to Charles—he did a great job today. I had a good start to the weekend, but things went wrong fast. I missed the yellow flag and jumped the start. When it rains, it pours. I’m sure I’ll get another penalty.”
Unfortunately for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, his day ended early after a crash on lap 48. Lando Norris from McLaren finished fourth, and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar came in fifth.
Fans were hoping for an exciting finish, as race control initially said the safety car would leave with one lap to go, setting up a one-lap sprint to the finish. But the safety car stayed out until the end, which caused a lot of boos from the crowd. This helped Russell move up to second place since he chose not to pit while others went for fresh tires.
Kimi Antonelli crossed the finish line ninth but was dropped to 16th after a five-second penalty for going off track.
After the race, the FIA explained the safety car situation: “The rule says one lap must be completed after the unlapping process before the safety car can come in. Race Operations followed this, but the message saying ‘Safety Car In This Lap’ was shown by mistake due to a software error.”
The next F1 race is on July 19 at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Top finishers at the British GP:
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. George Russell (Mercedes)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren)
5. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
Current Championship Standings:
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 179 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) – 154 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 147 points
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 108 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 97 points
Stay tuned as the season heats up!