Kimi Antonelli denies Lewis Hamilton home win in Silverstone F1 sprint

Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli overtook Lewis Hamilton to deny the Ferrari driver a home victory in the British Grand Prix sprint race.

After delighting a raucous 150-000 strong home crowd by taking a surprise pole position on Friday, Hamilton led the opening stages of Saturday’s 17-lap sprint but couldn’t hold on to convert his front-of-the-grid start into the win. 

Having managed to keep Antonelli at bay during the opening laps, seven-time world champion Hamilton was powerless to prevent the Mercedes driver breezing past along the Hangar Straight on lap eight. 

2026 F1 Silverstone: Full British GP sprint results

Antonelli was not even half way down the back straight when he completed the move, which highlighted a dramatic battery difference between the Italian and Hamilton’s cars. 

From there, Antonelli was in total control, pulling 2.745s clear of Hamilton to secure another victory and eight that further extends his advantage at the top of the world championship. 

The pace set by both Antonelli and Hamilton was relentless, leaving reigning world champion Lando Norris a distant third for McLaren, some seven second adrift of his fellow countryman. 

Norris resisted late pressure from the second Mercedes of George Russell, who took fourth ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. 

The four-time world champion suffered from another terrible start in his Red Bull which saw the Dutchman drop from third to seventh off the line, before recovering to sixth. 

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the points-paying positions in eighth, with Liam Lawson beating Isack Hadjar to ninth in a tense battle between the Racing Bulls and Red Bull drivers. 

F1 rookie Arvid Lindblad came home 10th in a race that saw all 22 drivers finish for the first time this season.