FIA releases statement explaining why the Safety Car remained out at the end of the British Grand Prix

The FIA has explained why the British Grand Prix finished under the safety car as fans, pundits and drivers were left confused.

What proved to be a chaotic race saw Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secure his first victory of the 2026 campaign and the Scuderia’s second in three races, while Mercedes’ George Russell managed to finish second ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who settled for third after receiving a five-second time penalty for a false start.

Hamilton also remains under investigation after the race for a yellow flag infringement, with the Brit admitting that he was expecting a further penalty when he spoke to reporters at Silverstone.

"I don't really remember, I was I P2, then we stopped," he said. "We couldn't have predicted that [safety car], we did what we thought was right.

"Congrats to Charles, he did a great job today. All the magic that I had on Friday disappeared over the weekend. I went through a yellow flag and I didn't see it and jumped the start. When it rains it pours.

"I'll probably get a penalty, I'm sure."

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had another afternoon to forget as he crashed out on lap 48, while McLaren’s Lando Norris finished fourth. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar made up the top five.

The end to the race was not what the British fans had hoped for, with race control initially saying the safety car would come in with one lap to go, meaning drivers would have a one-lap dash to the finish.

READ MORE: Lando Norris complains about Lewis Hamilton over team radio amid British GP penalty fears

But it unexpectedly remained out until the chequered flag, a decision which was greeted with widespread boos from supporters.

The decision benefited Russell as he was promoted to second place after deciding against pitting while other drivers took on fresh tyres.

Antonelli crossed the line in ninth but was demoted to 16th after receiving a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.

Shortly after the race, the FIA released the following statement, clearing up the confusion surrounding the safety car: "The Safety Car period regulation, Article B5.13.5, states that one lap must be completed following the unlapping procedure.

"This process was followed by Race Operations. The 'Safety Car In This Lap' message was displayed erroneously due to a software error."

F1 returns on July 19 with the Belgian Grand Prix taking place at Spa-Francorchamps.

British Grand Prix top 10

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

2. George Russell (Mercedes)

3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren)

5. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)

6. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

7. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)

9. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

Drivers' championship standings after British GP

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

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 82 points

7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 76 points

8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 52 points

9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 42 points

10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 39 points

11. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) -20 points

12. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 18 points

13. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 18 points

14. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 6 points

15. Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 6 points

16. Alex Albon (Williams) - 5 points

17. Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 3 points

18. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 1 point

19. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 0 points

20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 0 points

21. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 0 points

22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 0 points