“It’s been a good run, and with a couple more races coming up before the break, it’d be nice to keep that momentum going.”
What’s more, sixth sees Lawson match his best result of the 2026 season, after doing the same at the Monaco Grand Prix at the start of last month.
On top of that, Silverstone marks a second double-points weekend, after two sevenths in China earlier this year.
Despite starting 10th as the slowest driver to have reached the final stage of qualifying, a double overtake on the first lap saw Lawson spend most of the race in eighth, before a wheel failure for Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and crash for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen gave the Kiwi two more places.
At the front of the field, Ferrari’s resurgence continued by Charles Leclerc sealing his first victory of the season, and first since Austin 2024, after overtaking Antonelli on the opening lap and driving home untroubled to take the chequered flag, as teammate Lewis Hamilton took third, after a late investigation for a yellow flag infringement went his way.
Mercedes’ George Russell was arguably the biggest winner, though, as Antonelli and Verstappen’s misfortune saw him take second place, and close the gap to his teammate at the top of the world championship to just 27 points.
Lawson’s teammate Arvid Lindblad came home seventh, as Racing Bulls completed a fifth consecutive weekend with both cars in the points. Those points see Racing Bulls trail Alpine by just one in the constructors championship in the battle for fifth place.
After qualifying 10th, Lawson faced a delicate situation off the start line with his teammate one place ahead of him, and with the longer run into turn one.
Lawson, though, made short work of that by getting around not just Lindblad but the McLaren of Oscar Piastri – who suffered front wing damage by clashing with the Kiwi – in one move into turn six to sit eighth by the end of the opening lap.
With the second McLaren, Lando Norris, ahead of him, Lawson had little chance of overtaking on speed alone, and instead got to work in building into the rest of the 52 laps.
On lap 12, Lawson faced a brief hindrance when he began to lap the backmarkers which temporarily allowed Lindblad to close the gap to his teammate.
As drivers began to pit for the first time, Lawson had moved more than two seconds clear of Lindblad – despite his teammate’s protests to Racing Bulls that the Kiwi be ordered to let him pass.
At the halfway stage, the Racing Bulls were two of six drivers yet to have stopped, and set the team up for a repeat of last week’s controversy in Austria, where Lindblad defied team orders to attack Lawson after he’d pitted.
Liam Lawson at the British Grand Prix. Photo / Photosport
On lap 28, Lindblad was given priority and pitted before his teammate, before Lawson did the same one lap later, and kept hold of eighth place. Once on the hard tyres, though, Lawson found himself lapping slower than Lindblad, who put himself into position to use overtake mode by lap 34, but was able to defend and pull more than one second clear to end any threat.
With less than 10 laps to go, Antonelli’s wheel shield failure ended his chances, and gave Lawson one more positional gain, before Verstappen’s crash on lap 48 saw the race finish behind the safety car.
Formula One continues later this month with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps.
British Grand Prix finishing order
Charles Leclerc – FerrariGeorge Russell – MercedesLewis Hamilton – FerrariLando Norris – McLarenIsack Hadjar – Red BullLiam Lawson – Racing BullsArvid Lindblad – Racing BullsGabriel Bortoleto – AudiFranco Colapinto – AlpinePierre Gasly – AlpineOscar Piastri – McLarenCarlos Sainz – WilliamsOllie Bearman – HaasEsteban Ocon – HaasSergio Perez – CadillacKimi Antonelli – MercedesValtteri Bottas – CadillacFernando Alonso – Aston MartinLance Stroll – Aston Martin
Did not finish: Max Verstappen – Red Bull, Alex Albon – Williams, Nico Hulkenberg – Audi
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.