The 2026 British Grand Prix will be remembered for Charles Leclerc's long-awaited return to the victory lane. However, the closing stages at Silverstone left Formula 1 fans, drivers, and teams frustrated after a software error from the FIA briefly raised hopes of a grandstand final-lap finish, only to snatch it away seconds later.
With four laps remaining, Max Verstappen's Red Bull spun into the gravel at Stowe, triggering the Safety Car. As the field bunched up behind it, lapped cars were instructed to unlap themselves on the penultimate lap, a standard procedure under the regulations. But then, halfway around that same lap, the "Safety Car In This Lap" message flashed up on timing screens, raising the tantalizing prospect of a one-lap sprint to the flag.
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Eight seconds later, race control reversed the message. The Safety Car stayed out, led the field through the final lap, and Charles Leclerc crossed the line to take his ninth career win in formation, to audible dismay from the Silverstone crowd.
F1 Champion Pushes for Regulation Change
"Is it right? No. I mean, we all want to see a race to the end," said the 2009 Formula 1 World Drivers' champion Jenson Button on the latest episode of Sky Sports' 'The F1 Show' podcast. "So hopefully there's a, you know, possibility that we can change the regulations."
Button was not questioning whether the FIA did its job correctly on Sunday. He was questioning whether the rules themselves are fit for purpose. "But then, if you are extending it, for example, by a lap like they do in NASCAR, you've got to run more fuel. So there has to be regulations on that as well. So I want to see every race finish green, of course, because that's what we love," he added.
The former F1 driver was also keen to acknowledge where the confusion originated. "Everything was done correctly, except for one thing, that we had a mention that the safety car was coming in, because then everyone gets excited," Button said. "And then it said redeployed. And I think that was one of the bigger issues. The regulations were followed correctly post that, which I thought was good."
Why the FIA Could Not Restart the 2026 British GP Race
The FIA was quick to issue a clarification after the race, explaining that the correct procedure had been followed throughout. Under Article B5.13.5 of the Formula 1 sporting regulations, one full lap must be completed following the unlapping procedure before the Safety Car can return to the pits. With the unlapping process only completed on the penultimate lap, there was simply no time to restart the race without breaching the rules.
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"The 'Safety Car In This Lap' message was displayed erroneously due to a software error," the FIA confirmed in its statement. The governing body maintained that Race Operations had followed the correct process throughout, and that the confusion was caused entirely by the wrong automated message being displayed.
Why the Debate Revives Memories of Abu Dhabi 2021
The sensitivity around Safety Car finishes in Formula 1 runs deep. The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, referred to as AD21 in the F1 world, remains one of the most contentious moments in the sport's history, when then-race director Michael Masi did not follow the correct unlapping procedure, triggering a one-lap restart that handed Max Verstappen the world title over Lewis Hamilton. The FIA subsequently overhauled its Safety Car regulations in response.
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At Silverstone, the situation was almost the mirror image: this time, the regulations were followed correctly, but the erroneous software message created the impression that they had not been. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, whose team was at the centre of the Abu Dhabi controversy, offered a pointed take on the contrast.
"I would have preferred for this to happen in 2021! That was more important," Wolff told the media. "But it's good that the regulations were followed. Sometimes it doesn't make for the most exciting final [part of the race], certainly from a spectacle standpoint, everybody would have loved to see Lewis on a soft [tire] against us and maybe fighting with Leclerc."
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"But this is a show for the sport. Show for the sport and not the other way around, so it's good that the FIA did that."
For Button, the takeaway is clear: Formula 1 should look at how to ensure every race ends under green-flag conditions, without compromising safety or breaching fuel regulations. Whether the FIA takes that on board ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on July 17 remains to be seen.