Lewis Hamilton delivered a Silverstone masterclass to secure Sprint pole position for the British Grand Prix, beating championship leader Kimi Antonelli by the narrowest of margins after a dramatic Sprint Qualifying session.
What To Know
- Lewis Hamilton claimed Sprint pole with a lap of 1m 28.376s.
- Kimi Antonelli missed out on pole by just 0.011s, with Max Verstappen third.
- Ferrari topped every session on Friday as Hamilton continued his strong home form.
- Ollie Bearman missed SQ2 by 0.010s, while Aston Martin locked out the back row.
The Ferrari driver had looked quick throughout Friday’s running, having topped the only practice session before carrying that momentum through every stage of Sprint Qualifying. When it mattered most in SQ3, Hamilton produced a stunning lap of 1m 28.376s to snatch pole by just 0.011 seconds from Antonelli, earning the best possible starting position for Saturday’s Sprint race in front of his home fans.
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Hamilton’s pace had been evident from the opening laps of the afternoon, consistently placing Ferrari at the top of the timesheets as the track evolved around Silverstone’s high-speed layout. He remained the benchmark in both SQ1 and SQ2 before the decisive one-lap shootout, where the fight for pole came down to a tense final exchange between Ferrari and Mercedes.
2026 British Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Results
2026 British Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying, 3 July 2026
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:29.273 | 1:28.747 | 1:28.376 | 14 |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:29.746 | 1:28.846 | 1:28.387 | 15 |
| 3 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:29.689 | 1:29.242 | 1:28.697 | 12 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:29.380 | 1:28.922 | 1:28.703 | 14 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:29.675 | 1:29.246 | 1:28.733 | 15 |
| 6 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:30.142 | 1:29.401 | 1:28.740 | 15 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:29.583 | 1:29.120 | 1:28.772 | 12 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:29.470 | 1:29.280 | 1:28.835 | 14 |
| 9 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:29.850 | 1:29.067 | 1:28.927 | 12 |
| 10 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:30.453 | 1:29.330 | 1:29.367 | 12 |
| 11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:30.444 | 1:29.482 | 9 | |
| 12 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:30.407 | 1:29.679 | 12 | |
| 13 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:30.107 | 1:29.707 | 12 | |
| 14 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:30.894 | 1:29.983 | 9 | |
| 15 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:31.073 | 1:30.197 | 12 | |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:30.779 | 1:30.650 | 13 | |
| 17 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:31.083 | 6 | ||
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:31.714 | 6 | ||
| 19 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:31.776 | 6 | ||
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:32.020 | 6 | ||
| 21 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:32.910 | 5 | ||
| 22 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:32.988 | 5 |
Antonelli once again demonstrated why he leads the championship, falling agonisingly short of Sprint pole after another composed performance for Mercedes. The Italian will line up alongside Hamilton on the front row, with Max Verstappen securing third place for Red Bull after another competitive showing around the Northamptonshire circuit.
Ferrari’s strong afternoon continued with Charles Leclerc taking fourth, ensuring both Scuderia cars start inside the top four. George Russell completed the top five despite never appearing fully comfortable during the session, the Mercedes driver battling balance issues before producing his strongest lap when it counted.
McLaren endured a quieter Sprint Qualifying than many expected at their home event. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could manage only sixth and seventh respectively, leaving the Woking outfit with work to do if they are to challenge for the leading positions in Saturday’s Sprint.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar impressed once again by qualifying eighth, while Racing Bulls secured both cars inside the top 10 as Liam Lawson claimed ninth and British rookie Arvid Lindblad delighted the home crowd with 10th place.
Pierre Gasly came within a tenth of progressing to the final phase of Sprint Qualifying but ultimately missed the cut in 11th. The Alpine driver finished ahead of the Audi pairing of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, while Franco Colapinto placed the second Alpine 14th.
Williams faced a difficult session on home soil, with Carlos Sainz qualifying 15th and team-mate Alex Albon 16th after finishing 1.9 seconds adrift of Hamilton’s benchmark in SQ2.
SQ1 produced one of the closest eliminations of the afternoon as Haas driver Ollie Bearman narrowly missed out on progression by just 0.010 seconds to Albon. Team-mate Esteban Ocon was unable to recover from his opening runs and finished 18th.
The final four positions were occupied by Cadillac duo Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, while Aston Martin endured a disappointing session as Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll locked out the back row. Both Aston Martin drivers finished more than 3.6 seconds slower than Hamilton’s pole-winning effort.
Hamilton’s remarkable lap capped a flawless Friday at Silverstone after also topping the only practice session, giving the Ferrari driver early momentum heading into Sprint Saturday. With Antonelli lining up alongside him and Verstappen directly behind, the stage is set for a fascinating opening contest that could have an important bearing on the battle for the 2026 F1 World Championship.
Race Guide
Championship: 2026 F1 World Championship
Race date: Sunday, 5 July 2026
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Silverstone Circuit
Laps: 52
Circuit length: 5.891km
2025 winner: Lando Norris
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