Ferrari reaches 250th F1 win as Leclerc wins at Silverstone
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 7, 2026
Leclerc ends drought
Charles Leclerc won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and gave Ferrari its first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The result also delivered Ferrari’s 250th Formula 1 win. It ended Leclerc’s victory drought that stretched back to the 2024 United States Grand Prix and arrived after a run that had tested both the driver and the team. Leclerc said there was negativity around him and narratives being created before Silverstone, and the win carried extra weight because he saw it as a response to criticism after a difficult stretch. His recent slump included crashes in Monaco and a qualifying setback in Barcelona, and he scored only four points across his previous three races before Silverstone. Leclerc said he shut out outside criticism and never doubted his level, adding that he had not suddenly become a bad driver. He also said Ferrari changes had altered his feel for the car for a period and that it took longer than expected to get back to his preferred level. That made the win at Silverstone more than a single result. It became a clear answer to a stretch of doubt and a sign that Ferrari’s lead driver had reset his momentum.
Ferrari builds momentum
Ferrari’s weekend at Silverstone carried more than one layer. Leclerc outqualified Lewis Hamilton after the team made a philosophical change to his car after the Sprint, and Ferrari also focused on improving its start procedure after a poor sprint start on Saturday. That work showed up immediately when Leclerc took the lead at the start by passing pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli. The race then demanded patience and composure. Leclerc briefly lost the lead after his pit stop, then regained it and held off Antonelli to close the job. Antonelli’s wheel-shield problem helped end the challenge, but Ferrari still had to execute under pressure to protect the result. Hamilton gave Ferrari more reason to leave Silverstone satisfied. He ran strongly early, but a penalty for moving at the start and Ferrari’s late Safety Car strategy affected his race. He still finished third, giving Ferrari a double podium. George Russell finished second for Mercedes, which placed Ferrari in a strong position against one of its main championship rivals. The result fit the team’s broader recent rise, since Ferrari has become the closest challenger to Mercedes and the Silverstone finish improved its position in both championships. The weekend showed a team taking steps in the right areas, from launch procedure to race management, and turning that progress into a result that mattered.
Vasseur keeps focus
Fred Vasseur did not use Silverstone to talk up a title chase. He said Ferrari should approach the season race by race and avoid championship talk. Vasseur said the team is improving step by step through development of the SF-26, but he made it clear Ferrari is not yet at champion level. He also said the team still has weaknesses to address before it can be called a true title contender. That message matched the way Ferrari framed the weekend. The win was a major marker, but Vasseur treated it as one part of a longer build rather than a turning point that changes the whole picture at once. He described the Silverstone result as a strong, mega-positive weekend, then shifted the focus to Spa-Francorchamps. That next race now becomes the immediate test of whether Ferrari can carry the same level of execution forward. The team has the momentum of a landmark victory, the boost of a double podium and the evidence that its recent form has lifted it into a stronger position. It also has a list of areas that still need work. Vasseur’s message stayed clear. Ferrari can enjoy what it did at Silverstone, but it still has to keep earning each step if it wants that progress to turn into a real championship threat.
