British Grand Prix 2026: Kimi Antonelli says pole after sprint win, six-time Silverstone winner Lewis Hamilton misses out | Competitive Issues

British Grand Prix 2026 (Image: Artificial Intelligence)

Formula 1 has arrived at the famous British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but this time, neither home heroes Lewis Hamilton nor Lando Norris, will start on pole. Instead, the price of 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 greatest champions have created unforgettable moments. This weekend, the scene changed to two generations of racing talent – 19-year-old leader Kimi Antonelli and six-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 good record on home soil could lead to another victory.The 2026 British Grand Prix is ​​a Sprint weekend, so there is only one session of Free Practice (FP1) before Sprint Qualifying, followed by the Sprint race and Grand Prix Qualifying on Saturday. There are no FP2 or FP3 divisions under the Sprint format.

Free Action 1: Hamilton Sends a Message

With the Sprint format allowing only one practice session, teams only had 60 minutes to prepare their setup before the race. Lewis Hamilton wasted no time.The Ferrari driver delighted the home team by completing the only practice session with a 1:29.260, finishing 0.213 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. It was an ambitious statement from the seven-time world champion, who looked instantly at ease through Silverstone’s famous Maggotts-Becketts team.Antonelli also showed a surprising pace for Mercedes, while George Russell endured a quiet session as the Brackley outfit focused on race trials rather than timing. McLaren also looked competitive on home soil, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri remaining far behind the front runners.5 fastest trips

Sprint Qualifying: Hamilton Delivers Home Crowd

Silverstone exploded on Friday evening. Lewis Hamilton produced one of his best performances since joining Ferrari to take the Sprint Pole by just 0.011 seconds over Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton led in Sprint Qualifying before posting a final lap of 1:28.376, denying Antonelli in the final lap.Max Verstappen managed to finish third, ahead of Charles Leclerc, while George Russell managed to finish fifth after struggling to pick up speed in his Mercedes. For Hamilton, he marked his first Sprint Pole with Ferrari and rekindled his hopes of ending Mercedes’ dominance in front of his home fans.Top 5 of the Sprint race

Racing: Antonelli Responds Well

If Friday was Hamilton’s, Saturday afternoon was Antonelli’s. Kimi passed Hamilton around the Hangar Straight on Lap 8 using Overtake Mode before pulling away to secure his first Sprint victory. Sitting in the clean air, Antonelli was unstoppable, crossing the line 2.7 seconds from Hamilton to take the Sprint win and strengthen his lead.Lando Norris recovered well to finish third, while George Russell narrowly missed fourth. Hamilton admitted that the change in wind helped Antonelli a lot, but Ferrari’s pace showed that they remained the main contenders going into the Grand Prix.

2026 Silverstone Sprint Race Team

Eligibility: Antonelli Offers Another Coach

With the Sprint victory already secured, Antonelli entered the qualifying round. He produced another impressive performance, posting a 1:28.111 to secure his fifth place of the season. Charles Leclerc delivered Ferrari’s strongest performance in weeks by finishing second, edging teammate Lewis Hamilton into third.George Russell recovered well from an early mistake in Q1 to qualify fourth, while Isack Hadjar finished another Saturday for Red Bull in fifth. Lando Norris and Max Verstappen could only manage sixth and seventh respectively after struggling to gain traction in the changing weather.Mercedes maintained its record of wins in every race in 2026, Antonelli led again.2026 British Grand Prix Qualifying Results (Top 5)

Hamilton’s Silverstone Revival

Few circuits deserve Lewis Hamilton like Silverstone. The Ferrari driver performed well, took the Sprint Pole, finished second in the Sprint and was third in Sunday’s Grand Prix. The home crowd will believe that another Silverstone victory is possible.

The Race Ahead

Everything is pointing to another spectacular showdown between Mercedes and Ferrari today Sunday 7:30 PM IST. Antonelli starts on pole carrying confidence after the Sprint victory. Leclerc and Hamilton close second and third place for Ferrari.Russell will be eager to challenge after recovering from a major qualifying event. Meanwhile, Verstappen and Norris remain too close to gain as the track or the changing British weather disrupts the system. Silverstone rarely disappoints.