The Associated Press reported from Silverstone that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli passed Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton on lap eight of the 17-lap sprint to secure victory. Antonelli deployed electrical power on the Hangar Straight to complete the move and maintained the lead to the finish. Hamilton had started the sprint from pole but could not match the Mercedes driver’s race pace over the closing laps. Formula 1 officials confirmed the result marked Antonelli’s first sprint win of the 2026 season.
Official timing data placed Antonelli on pole for the grand prix after he set the fastest lap in the final moments of qualifying. The Mercedes driver edged Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.175 seconds with Hamilton third and George Russell fourth. Russell had made contact with the wall early in the session which affected his starting position for Sunday’s race according to team updates. The front row battle sets up a direct contest between Mercedes and Ferrari at the historic circuit.
Antonelli told his team over the radio after crossing the sprint finish line “Let’s go! Let’s go!” He later added “It was a very fun first 10 laps with Lewis we were both pushing very hard. Obviously the momentum is there and we are doing a great job together with the team.” The 2026 regulations which emphasise electrical power management played a central role in the on-track strategy according to post-race analysis from Formula 1. Antonelli had last won at the Monaco Grand Prix the previous month.
Hamilton who joined Ferrari last year after his long Mercedes tenure gave his assessment of the sprint. “I was pushing as hard as I could; I gave it absolutely everything” Hamilton said in comments carried by the Associated Press. “We’ve got a bit of work to do to try and close that gap.” The seven-time champion had held the lead for the first half of the sprint before yielding to the faster Mercedes. Sky Sports noted the battle produced one of the more engaging sprint races in recent memory.
Formula 1 standings released after the event showed Antonelli extending his championship lead to 43 points over Russell. Lando Norris finished third in the sprint for McLaren which ran a special white-and-green throwback livery at its home event. Max Verstappen ended sixth for Red Bull while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took seventh according to official results. The top eight finishers completed the sprint in close formation behind the leading pair.
Motorsport.com reported that Antonelli crossed the line 2.7 seconds ahead of Hamilton underlining their dominance over the rest of the field in the sprint. Race officials issued a warning to Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson following an investigation into his battle with another competitor. The 2026 power unit rules which require strategic lifting in fast corners to recharge electrical systems shaped much of the action at Silverstone on Saturday.
