Charles Leclerc’s victory at Silverstone was the result of outstanding work from both the driver and the team. Mercedes still appears to have the stronger overall package, but only when Kimi Antonelli is behind the wheel.
For Charles Leclerc, the Silverstone race felt like the perfect comeback story—a true return to winning ways. The Ferrari driver produced one of the most memorable victories of his career in the British Grand Prix for several reasons. Leclerc delivered an outstanding performance, answering every question that had surrounded him in recent weeks through his pace on track rather than words.
A perfect start allowed him to take the lead, before an exceptional opening stint defined by both speed and consistency. There were no mistakes, no unnecessary risks—just relentless pace that proved superior to everyone else on the grid, with the sole exception of Kimi Antonelli. But where did Ferrari’s victory really come from? To properly understand what unfolded at Silverstone without jumping to simplistic conclusions, it is worth examining the performance from several different perspectives.
The Leclerc factor
As already mentioned, Charles Leclerc produced another world-class Grand Prix, something Formula 1 fans have become increasingly accustomed to seeing over the past few seasons. Once regarded primarily as a qualifying specialist, the Monegasque has steadily evolved into one of the strongest race drivers on the grid, capable of maintaining exceptional pace over long stints.
It was clear that he finally had the SF-26 operating within his preferred setup window. That breakthrough came after extensive work behind the scenes across multiple areas, including mechanical setup changes that restored the confidence he needed to unlock such a high level of performance.
The opening stint made the difference, particularly against Lewis Hamilton, who struggled with an excessively understeering car, allowing Charles Leclerc to build an important gap over the rest of the field.
At the beginning of the second stint on the hard tyres, it appeared that the Monegasque was deliberately keeping some pace in reserve, anticipating what looked certain to become a wheel-to-wheel battle with the rapidly recovering Antonelli. In the end, that duel never materialized. Overall, Charles Leclerc delivered a flawless performance. He now appears to have fully understood how to extract the maximum from the SF-26, earning this victory through both intelligent technical choices and flawless execution on track.
The Ferrari factor
Charles Leclerc’s exceptional drive alone would not have been enough without a Ferrari that exceeded even the most optimistic expectations, including those inside Maranello. Ferrari’s engineers clearly identified several crucial aspects that their rivals had not fully understood. Throughout the weekend, one element stood out in particular: the SF-26’s hybrid energy deployment strategy around Silverstone, one of the most demanding circuits in Formula 1 for energy management. Ferrari’s approach immediately proved to be the most effective and even became the benchmark after rival teams observed it during the Sprint qualifying session.
That was only part of the story. The car’s balance remained consistently excellent, while Ferrari also pursued maximum performance through two parallel development paths. Under the engine cover, available power had clearly increased thanks to the first ADUO package introduced in Austria, combined with a much more aggressive hybrid deployment strategy. At the same time, aerodynamic drag was significantly reduced through a combination of aerodynamic refinements and the decision to sacrifice a small amount of downforce.
A key to the weekend: limited active aerodynamics
The FIA’s configuration for Silverstone featured relatively few sections where active aerodynamics could be used. Important stretches, including the run from Copse to Maggotts and from Stowe to Vale, had to be completed with the wings closed. As a result, aerodynamic efficiency became even more important, both for straight-line speed and energy conservation. The differences between chassis concepts became strikingly clear, leaving Ferrari and Mercedes comfortably ahead of the rest of the field.
It was no coincidence that Max Verstappen and Lando Norris both complained about poor straight-line speed and excessive drag—weaknesses that are normally masked by the ability to open the wings and reduce aerodynamic resistance. For Ferrari, sacrificing some downforce represented a calculated risk over race distance. However, the quality of the SF-26 chassis was evident in how effectively the car responded even with such aggressive setup choices.
Further confirmation came from comments made by Charles Leclerc after the race, when he explained that Ferrari had a different rear wing from everyone else, allowing the team to be very competitive in sections of the circuit where overtaking was not possible.
Analysis of the weekend’s data suggests he was referring to the section between Stowe and Vale, where Overtake Mode was unavailable but Ferrari consistently recorded some of the highest speeds on the circuit. The SF-26 has therefore evolved dramatically. Earlier in the season it combined limited engine performance with high aerodynamic drag. Now it features a much smaller horsepower deficit while also producing less drag than almost every other car on the grid.
The result was an exceptionally fast Formula 1 car—arguably the fastest overall. Combined with Ferrari’s superior reliability, that performance translated into victory and came very close to delivering a one-two finish. Kimi Antonelli continues to prove he is an extraordinary talent by carrying Mercedes ahead of Ferrari
Why only “arguably” the fastest?
Because among the other 20 cars on the grid, only one consistently demonstrated superior pace to Ferrari: Kimi Antonelli‘s Mercedes. However, only the Mercedes driven by the young Italian possessed that genuine pace advantage. Once Mercedes optimized its energy deployment following the Sprint, the Brackley engineers were able to choose a setup with greater overall flexibility: more downforce, reduced tyre degradation and, thanks in large part to Antonelli’s remarkable driving, the ability to extend the opening stint significantly before launching an incredibly fast second stint.
Only Antonelli, however, managed to unlock the W17’s full potential, and that is an important distinction. If Mercedes only had George Russell’s performances to rely on, Ferrari would currently look like a genuine Formula 1 title contender capable of fighting for victory at almost every circuit.
Antonelli changes that picture completely.
The level at which he is currently driving has been extraordinary. He has consistently been both fast and remarkably consistent, producing race pace that nobody—not even his teammate—has been able to match, while simultaneously avoiding excessive tyre degradation, almost as though he possesses an extra level of grip unavailable to anyone else.
It is a characteristic often associated with many of Formula 1’s greatest champions. His efforts in the closing stages of the race were also almost heroic as he fought desperately to salvage points. His determination was understandable. A second retirement in three races, combined with an imperfect weekend in Austria, has more than halved his championship advantage over George Russell, now his closest challenger.
Although Antonelli is currently demonstrating significantly stronger pace than his teammate, he now needs to convert that performance advantage into championship points. Formula 1 can change rapidly, and competitive advantages can disappear almost overnight.
Ferrari won on merit, not through luck
Returning to Ferrari, the Silverstone victory was fully deserved. Reliability has always been one of the fundamental requirements of motorsport. Finishing races is not a matter of luck but of engineering excellence, and Ferrari deserves full credit for delivering two competitive and reliable cars. From a pure performance standpoint, however, Antonelli’s Mercedes still appears to be the fastest package overall, largely because of its greater operating flexibility in several key areas, beginning with the power unit.
Even so, Ferrari has demonstrated that the engine performance gap has narrowed significantly. Under these conditions alone, the Maranello team has already become an extremely difficult opponent for Toto Wolff’s squad to overcome—unless a driver of Antonelli’s exceptional talent is able to extract every last fraction of performance from the car.
As for the rest of the field, Silverstone—one of Formula 1’s most demanding circuits when it comes to exposing the strengths and weaknesses of a car’s design—revealed structural limitations that currently prevent the other leading teams from consistently joining the fight at the front. For now, they appear capable only of challenging on circuits that particularly suit their individual characteristics. Ultimately, Ferrari remains the only team whose overall package is capable of consistently challenging Mercedes. At the moment, it even appears capable of beating one of the two Silver Arrows on merit.
It is not yet the outright benchmark in Formula 1. But at Silverstone, Ferrari showed that it was second only to one exceptional driver in one exceptional Mercedes—a team that can now be described as the strongest force… and a half.
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