British GP Sprint Qualifying: Lewis Hamilton storms to Silverstone pole to beat Kimi Antonelli as George Russell struggles | F1 News

Lewis Hamilton has made a storming start to the British Grand Prix weekend by claiming pole position for Saturday’s Sprint at Silverstone.

On a weekend he will go in search of a landmark 10th victory at his home race in Sunday’s main Grand Prix, Hamilton made the perfect start on Friday by topping practice and then all three segments of Sprint Qualifying to pip Mercedes’ title-leading Kimi Antonelli to pole by 0.011s.

It marks the seven-time world champion’s first pole position in either of Formula 1’s qualifying formats since last season’s Sprint in China, which he won, and maintains the 41-year-old’s growing momentum in his second year at Ferrari three weeks after winning the race in Barcelona.

Hamilton had strongly played down Ferrari’s prospects at Silverstone in interviews on Thursday owing to Ferrari’s supposed straight-line speed deficit to championship leaders Mercedes.

But on a high-speed circuit where power is king, the Ferrari SF-26 looked competitive from the outset, with Hamilton producing another masterclass around Silverstone to lead the resurgent Scuderia’s charge again.

A jubilant Hamilton, whose pole was cheered by the large Friday crowd at a sun-kissed circuit, said afterwards that Ferrari’s form relative to Mercedes so far had come as an “amazing surprise”.

Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle said: “Lewis made the difference. That was a classic Lewis Hamilton Silverstone lap.”

With Antonelli just falling short of Hamilton in second, Max Verstappen took third in the improved Red Bull to complete an eye-catching one-two-three on the grid for Saturday’s 17-lap Sprint.

But Charles Leclerc could again not match Hamilton in the sister Ferrari, lapping three tenths slower than his team-mate to take fourth. But Leclerc was still ahead of Austria victor George Russell, who struggled relative to Antonelli throughout the session and could only manage fifth place in an early blow to his own home race weekend.

World champions McLaren were never a factor in the pole fight.

Lando Norris, who carried car damage through the first two segments before repairs ahead of SQ3, eventually pipped team-mate Oscar Piastri to sixth but the McLaren duo, whose cars are running in throwback white and green livery this weekend, wound up four tenths off the pace on the third row.

Isack Hadjar had run ahead of Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen in SQ1 but eventually slipped to eighth on the soft tyres, although still lapped only a tenth behind the third-placed Dutchman. Hadjar stayed ahead of the Racing Bulls pair of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who continued their consistent top-10 form.

More to follow…

Sky Sports F1’s British GP schedule

Saturday July 4
9.30am: F3 Sprint*
11am: British GP Sprint build-up*
12pm: BRITISH GP SPRINT*
1.40pm: F2 Sprint*
2.50pm: British GP Qualifying build-up*
4pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING*
6pm: F1 Academy Race 1
6.45pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 5
8.20am: F3 Feature Race*
9.55am: F1 Academy Race 2*
11.10am: F2 Feature Race*
12.55pm: Grand Prix Sunday: British GP build-up*
3pm: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX*
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

*also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1 is in Silverstone for a Sprint weekend at the British Grand Prix – live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky One – with Sunday’s race at 3pm. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime