Hamilton grabs Silverstone sprint pole for Ferrari, beating Antonelli by just 0.011s
Lewis Hamilton thrilled his home crowd by topping Sprint Qualifying for the British Grand Prix, outpacing championship leader Kimi Antonelli by a mere eleven thousandths of a second.
Home hero delivers
Lewis Hamilton produced a dominant display across all three segments of Sprint Qualifying at Silverstone, setting the benchmark in SQ1 with a 1:29.273 and improving to a 1:28.747 in SQ2. His final lap of 1:28.376 was enough to secure the prime starting spot for Saturday’s sprint race, reinforcing his remarkable record at a circuit where he has won nine times before.
I love this place. I am ecstatic. I struggle to express what I'm feeling. I would never have expected this result.
The seven-time world champion’s pace reversed the narrative of a struggling Ferrari power unit that had surfaced in Austria, with the Scuderia’s Maranello updates delivering immediate, tangible gains on a track known for high-speed corners and long straights.
Antonelli pushes close
Despite Hamilton’s control, championship leader Kimi Antonelli came within a hair of snatching pole, crossing the line only 0.011 seconds adrift. The Italian’s Mercedes remains the overall benchmark, and his performance at a home race for the British driver underlined the fine margins separating the two title contenders. George Russell, the second Mercedes and second in the championship, could not match his teammate, ending up fifth, over three tenths behind.
Tight fight for the second row
Max Verstappen took third for Red Bull, a surprise given the car’s inconsistent run through qualifying, while Charles Leclerc will line up alongside him in fourth. The gap between the two was just 0.006 seconds, with both roughly three tenths off Hamilton’s pole time. The result keeps both Ferrari cars in the top four and demonstrates the SF‑26’s improved single-lap potential.
- Hamilton
- 0 seconds
- Antonelli
- 0.011 seconds
- Verstappen
- 0.321 seconds
- Leclerc
- 0.327 seconds
A special look for McLaren
McLaren abandoned its traditional papaya colours for this home event, running a predominantly white and green livery backed by partner Google. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could only manage sixth and seventh, a subdued showing compared to recent outings. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) placed eighth, followed by the Racing Bulls pair of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
What this means
Hamilton’s sprint pole comes three weeks after his first main-race win of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix and signals that Ferrari’s earlier power-unit deficit is narrowing on a Silverstone layout that punishes any lack of straight-line speed. Antonelli still leads the world championship, but Russell sits just six points behind Hamilton in the standings, setting up a three-way fight as the weekend progresses toward Saturday’s sprint race and Sunday’s main Grand Prix.
