
2 hours · 2 summary articles
Lewis Hamilton takes pole for Silverstone sprint ahead of Antonelli and Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton takes pole for British Grand Prix sprint at Silverstone
Lewis Hamilton secured pole position for today’s Formula 1 British Grand Prix sprint at Silverstone on Friday, delivering a vintage performance that sent the 150,000-strong home crowd into raptures. The seven-time world champion topped every session, including the sole practice on Friday and the sprint shootout, to start Saturday’s 13:00 BST sprint from the front of the grid ahead of Ferrari teammate Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Hamilton’s lap in the sprint qualifying shootout was 0.3 seconds quicker than Antonelli’s Mercedes, with Verstappen another three-tenths adrift in third. The result marks Hamilton’s ninth pole at Silverstone, a circuit he has dominated since his debut in 2007, and underscores his resurgence after victory in Barcelona last month.
“It’s always special to be on pole at your home race,” Hamilton said after the session. “Silverstone is a track where you need to be precise, and today the car felt just right.” The British fans responded with a spontaneous standing ovation as Hamilton crossed the line, a scene echoed across the grandstands and the Lando Norris tribune, where 16,000 supporters had gathered for the McLaren driver’s first Silverstone home race.
Verstappen, who had finished second in Friday’s practice, admitted the Red Bull’s balance was “not quite there” compared with Hamilton’s Ferrari. “We’re close, but not close enough for pole,” he told reporters. “We’ll take the fight to them tomorrow.”
The sprint race, the first of six in the 2026 season, will run over 17 laps of the 5.891-kilometre Silverstone circuit, with the top eight finishers scoring points. Hamilton’s pole means he will lead the field into the first corner, with Antonelli and Verstappen on the front row’s outside. The main Grand Prix on Sunday remains the season’s marquee event, but today’s sprint offers the first chance to gauge the pecking order ahead of the 16:00 BST race.
Follow us for live European news
4 further sources not geolocated