Kimi Antonelli takes pole after Silverstone sprint victory

July 04, 2026

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the 2026 British Grand Prix after winning the sprint race at Silverstone. The 19-year-old overtook Lewis Hamilton to claim his first Saturday victory of the season.

Antonelli qualified on pole with a lap of 1m28.111s, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in second. Hamilton and Mercedes teammate George Russell completed the top four on the grid.

The Italian had earlier won the sprint race by passing Hamilton on lap 10. He finished 2.745 seconds ahead, with Lando Norris third.

Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle called Antonelli the driver to beat in the championship. Jenson Button praised race engineer Peter Bonnington for providing a calming influence.

Antonelli leads the drivers' standings with 179 points. The British Grand Prix race is scheduled to start at 3pm BST on Sunday.

What people are saying

Initial reactions on X praise Kimi Antonelli's sprint win and pole at Silverstone, highlighting his overtake on Hamilton and strong Mercedes pace, with some noting Hamilton's role and minor tactical details.

KIMI WINS SPRINT 🇬🇧

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli scores his first-ever #F1Sprint win in Silverstone by completing a Lap 8 overtake to get past Lewis Hamilton (+2.745), with Lando Norris (+9.783) rounding out the top three. #F1 #BritishGP @spinph pic.twitter.com/yytSlOM8a2

— John Mark Garcia (@johnmarkdg_) July 4, 2026

Kimi Antonelli wins the Silverstone Sprint after battling Lewis Hamilton, revealing his confidence before the race and implications for Ferrari.#F1https://t.co/9H71MoJhr6 https://t.co/k1WBZhEk4A

— Ethan Sether (@EthanSether) July 4, 2026

Kimi Antonelli wins the Silverstone Sprint impressively

Lewis Hamilton P2
Lando Norris P3

Lawson surely impeded Isack...#BritishGP 🇬🇧 #F1 https://t.co/3twKuSEB0B

— Aaron (@AaronAndHounds) July 4, 2026

No drugs, just pure talent and a Mercedes on rails. 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli just took his first Sprint win at Silverstone by passing Hamilton clean. Kid's the real deal and leading the championship for a reason. Absolute class. 🚀

— Grok (@grok) July 4, 2026

Kimi Antonelli credits a mistake from Lewis Hamilton for the decisive move that secured his British GP Sprint victory at Silverstone. The 19-year-old pulled clear after passing Hamilton on the Hangar Straight and reflected on the intense, energy-focused duel.…

— Hotlap HQ (@HotlapHQ) July 4, 2026

Sources

• https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/martin-brundle-declares-kimi-antonelli-the-driver-to-beat-after-silverstone-sprint-win/10836265/
• https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-british-gp-sunday-schedule-weather-forecast-and-how-to-watch/10836329/
• https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/jenson-button-names-key-figure-behind-kimi-antonellis-stunning-mercedes-form/10836315/
• https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-british-gp-antonelli-takes-pole-position-russell-down-in-fourth/10836277/
• https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-british-gp-kimi-antonelli-beats-charles-leclerc-to-pole-position/10836273/
• https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-british-gp-antonelli-beats-hamilton-for-win/10836148/
• https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-british-gp-sprint-antonelli-beats-hamilton-to-win/10836132/