12:07
Hamilton is pulling away at the front, as Norris and Russell are going at it once more over the final podium position. Leclerc has suffered a poor start, dropping to P7.
Antonelli at Silverstone
© XPB Images
LIVE
F1 Silverstone LIVE: Antonelli wins thrilling British GP sprint race from Hamilton
Live coverage of Saturday at the F1 British Grand Prix
KEY MOMENTS
- Drivers divided over Lego parade lap
- Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren bring upgrades; Mercedes does not
- Antonelli wins sprint race from Hamilton
The ninth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the British Grand Prix.
Silverstone hosted the first official F1 Grand Prix in 1950 and continues to be a firm favourite of both drivers and fans in the modern era.
On Thursday, drivers were vocal in their concerns about how energy-starved the layout could be, with few heavy braking zones to recover energy into the batteries. However, when the action got underway on Friday, the issue was far less intrusive than had been feared.
A bizarre dispute is also taking place in regard to Sunday's parade lap, which will take place in Lego go-karts, with each driver having their own vehicle. Whilst some are all for it and are eager to get going, such as Lando Norris and Valtteri Bottas, there are others who are less excited about the prospect, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen both voicing concern, and the former suggesting he does not intend to take part.
Fresh off the back of his victory at the Red Bull Ring, George Russell is keen to add to his points haul with a first win on home soil, but starts the Sprint Race from fifth place after a disappointing qualifying.
Lewis Hamilton will start the Saturday race from pole position, after besting Kimi Antonelli by 0.011s in Sprint Qualifying.
The weekend sees the return of the Sprint Race format, meaning that a single practice session will take place before Sprint Qualifying on Friday. Saturday will see the Sprint Race contested first, before normal programming is resumed, with Qualifying. The Grand Prix will start at 3pm BST on Sunday.
2026 British Grand Prix Saturday schedule
Sprint Race: 12:00pm BST - 1:00pm BST
Qualifying: 4:00pm BST - 5:00pm BST
04 Jul 2026
12:06
Norris passes Antonelli for P2, but the Mercedes driver sails past again into Stow, in front of the Lando Stand.
Russell is flying in the second Mercedes, passing Piastri around the outside of Stowe, and then Norris one corner later. Mercedes 2-3.
12:04
Antonelli and Hamilton get close to contact at the start. Verstappen has dropped back to P6, with Norris, Piastri, and Russell now P3, 4, and 5.
12:04
Sprint begins!
The lights go out, and we are racing!
12:03
Albon returns to the pits after completing the formation lap. Remember, he made setup changes so has a pit lane start.
12:03
The field approach the grid once more. Here we go!
12:01
The top 18 drivers are all on medium compound tyres, other than Lawson in P9. Bottas, Alonso, and Stroll - the bottom three in qualifying - are all using softs, as well.
There is a mix of used and new tyres.
Hold on, Lawson appears to be on mediums, so there is an error on the timing screen on that one.
11:58
Things to remember. The race will be contested across 17 laps, with no mandatory pit stops, and a completely free choice of tyres.
Other than that, it's a very straightforward race!
11:55
Here we go! The music has played, the grid is clearing, and we are set for the Sprint Race at the British Grand Prix.
11:51
Speaking to Sky in the grid, Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey has targeted reaching Q2 and being 'in the conversation' for points with its upgrade that is slated to arrive for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Honda will bring an upgraded power unit one weekend later at Zandvoort.
It is safe to say that there is a lot riding on these improvements.
11:45
15 minutes until lights out at Silverstone. The atmosphere is building on the grid, with hopes and, perhaps, expectations that Hamilton can take victory.
11:39
Hamilton's fan request
Hamilton has always praised the fans for making the difference at Silverstone. Ahead of the Sprint Race, he had a message for the fans.
11:33
Hamilton takes to the track. 17 laps await separate him from victory in the Sprint Race.
11:31
Half an hour berfore the race gets underway, and the pit lane is open, with drivers now making their way to the grid.
11:27
Explained: Why McLaren is the last team waiting for Mercedes’ latest F1 engine
Explained: Why McLaren is the last team waiting for Mercedes’ latest F1 engine
The McLaren Formula 1 team is still waiting on Mercedes’ latest power unit upgrade, CEO Zak Brown has revealed.
Mercedes debuted its latest specification engine on works drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s cars at the Austrian Grand Prix last time out.
Norris driving McLaren's one-off livery at the British Grand Prix
11:18
Albon to start from the pits
Williams has pulled Albon from his grid slot in a bid to make some setup changes that could benefit him for the rest of the weekend.
Low down in the order, the chance of points in the Sprint Race was minimal, so it makes sense to do this, and the only real surprise is that others haven't done the same.
11:11
F1 2026 British Grand Prix: Full starting grid for today's Silverstone sprint race
F1 2026 British Grand Prix: Full starting grid for today's Silverstone sprint race
Just in case you needed a full reminder of the grid order, here is the full rundown.
Hamilton is presented with the sprint pole trophy
11:04
Good morning!
Hello and welcome back to Silverstone for the Sprint Race at the British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton will start from pole position, but will face a stiff challenge from Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen in second and third places respectively.
Charles Leclerc goes from fourth place, with George Russell in fifth, followed by the two McLaren drivers.