Formula 1 has arrived at the iconic British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but this time, neither home hero Lewis Hamilton nor Lando Norris, will start from pole position. Instead, pole for Sunday’s race belongs to Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.Silverstone has always been more than just another stop on the Formula 1 calendar.It is the birthplace of the Formula 1 World Championship, a circuit where speed meets history and where Britain’s best have created unforgettable moments. This weekend, however, the spotlight shifted to two generations of racing talent – 19-year-old championship leader Kimi Antonelli and nine-time British Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton.After George Russell’s victory in Austria last week, Mercedes arrived at Silverstone looking to extend their dominance, while Ferrari hoped that Hamilton’s remarkable record at his home circuit could finally deliver another win.The 2026 British Grand Prix is ​​a Sprint weekend, so there is only one Free Practice session (FP1) before Sprint Qualifying, followed by the Sprint race and Grand Prix Qualifying on Saturday. There are no FP2 or FP3 sessions under the Sprint format.
Free exercise 1: Hamilton Sends a Message
With the Sprint format allowing only one practice session, teams had just 60 minutes to perfect their set-ups before the competitive race began. Lewis Hamilton wastes no time.The Ferrari driver thrilled the home crowd by winning the only practice session with a lap of 1:29.260, finishing 0.213 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. It was a statement of intent from the seven-time world champion, who looked immediately comfortable across Silverstone’s legendary Maggotts-Becketts complex.Antonelli once again showed Mercedes’ impressive pace, while George Russell endured a relatively quiet session as the Brackley team focused on race simulations rather than lap times. McLaren also looked competitive on home soil, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri remaining within striking distance of the front runners.Top 5 fastest laps
| position | Driver | team | Lap Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:29.260 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | + 0.213 s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | + 0.599 s |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | + 0.678 s |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | + 0.887 s |
Sprint Qualifying: Hamilton delivers for the home crowd
Silverstone erupted on Friday night. Lewis Hamilton produced one of his best qualifying laps since joining Ferrari to take the Sprint Pole by just 0.011 seconds over Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton had led throughout sprint qualifying before delivering a superb final lap of 1:28.376, denying Antonelli at the last moment.Max Verstappen qualified third, ahead of Charles Leclerc, while George Russell could only manage fifth after struggling to take the pace out of his Mercedes. For Hamilton, it marked his first Sprint Pole with Ferrari and rekindled hopes of ending Mercedes’ dominance in front of his home fans.Top 5 for Sprint racing
| position | Driver | team | SQ3 Lap Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:28,376 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | + 0.011 s |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | + 0.321 s |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | + 0.327 s |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | + 0.357 s |
Sprint Race: Antonelli Responds
If Friday belonged to Hamilton, Saturday afternoon belonged to Antonelli. Kimi overtook Hamilton around the Hangar Straight on Lap 8 using Overtake Mode before pulling away to secure his first Sprint win. Once in the clean air, Antonelli was untouchable, crossing the line 2.7 seconds clear of Hamilton to claim maximum Sprint points and strengthen his championship lead.Lando Norris recovered brilliantly to finish third, while George Russell narrowly missed out on the podium in fourth. Hamilton admitted that changing wind conditions had played a major role in Antonelli’s decisive approach, but Ferrari’s pace suggested they remained genuine contenders for Grand Prix qualifying.
Silverstone Sprint 2026 Classification
| Pos. | Driver | team | Laps | Time / Gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 17 | 26:12.129 | 8 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 17 | + 2,745 s | 7 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 17 | + 9,783 s | 6 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 17 | + 10,639 s | 5 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 17 | + 12,620 s | 4 |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 17 | + 16,550 s | 3 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 17 | + 17,551 s | 2 |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | Running of the bulls | 17 | + 30,233 s | 1 |
| 9 | Isaac Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 17 | + 30,953 s | 0 |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Running of the bulls | 17 | + 35,110 s | 0 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 17 | + 40,273 s | 0 |
| 12 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 17 | + 41.026 s | 0 |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | Listen | 17 | + 42.155 s | 0 |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Listen | 17 | + 43.882 s | 0 |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 17 | + 45,201 s | 0 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 17 | + 46,331 s | 0 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Williams | 17 | + 48,910 s | 0 |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | 17 | + 49,441 s | 0 |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 17 | + 52.115 s | 0 |
| 20 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 17 | + 56,702 s | 0 |
| 21 | Lance Walk | Aston Martin | 17 | + 58,339 s | 0 |
| 22 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 17 | +1:02.114s | 0 |
Qualifications: Antonelli gives another Masterclass
With the Sprint win already secured, Antonelli enters qualifying carrying huge momentum. He produced another stunning performance, setting a lap of 1:28.111 to secure his fifth pole position of the season. Charles Leclerc put in Ferrari’s strongest qualifying performance in weeks by securing second, leading team-mate Lewis Hamilton into third.George Russell recovered impressively from an early mistake in Q1 to qualify fourth, while Isack Hadjar finished another outstanding Saturday for Red Bull in fifth. Lando Norris and Max Verstappen could only manage sixth and seventh respectively after struggling to find grip in changing wind conditions.Mercedes maintained its remarkable record of taking pole position at every race in 2026, with Antonelli once again in the lead.2026 British Grand Prix qualifying results (Top 5)
| position | Driver | team | Q3 Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:28.111 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.286 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:28.458 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:28.481 |
| 5 | Isaac Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:28,746 |
Hamilton’s Silverstone Revival
Few circuits suit Lewis Hamilton like Silverstone. The Ferrari driver topped practice, secured the Sprint Pole, finished second in the Sprint and qualified third for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The home crowd will believe that another Silverstone triumph remains within reach.
The race ahead
Everything points to another fascinating Mercedes vs Ferrari today Sunday 7:30 PM IST. Antonelli starts from pole carrying confidence after the Sprint victory. Leclerc and Hamilton locked down the second and third positions for Ferrari.Russell will be desperate for a challenge after recovering from a hectic qualifying session. Meanwhile, Verstappen and Norris remain close enough to capitalize if British strategy or climate change shakes up the order. Silverstone rarely disappoints.