Kimi Antonelli is having the weekend of his young career. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver claimed victory in Saturday’s sprint race at Silverstone, then backed it up with pole position for this afternoon’s British Grand Prix main race — leaving the rest of the grid in his wake over a remarkable 24 hours at one of Formula 1’s most beloved circuits.
The main race starts today at 2pm BST (9pm SGT). After what Silverstone has already delivered, the anticipation is almost unbearable.
Sprint Race: Antonelli Dominant
Lewis Hamilton took sprint pole position on Friday in his Ferrari, clocking a 1:28.376 — an early sign that the Scuderia would be a factor this weekend. But when the sprint lights went out on Saturday morning, it was Antonelli who seized control and never looked back.
The Mercedes driver crossed the line in 26:12.129, a full 2.745 seconds ahead of Hamilton in second. Lando Norris completed the podium for McLaren in third, 9.783 seconds back. George Russell was fourth for Mercedes, with Charles Leclerc fifth and Max Verstappen sixth, the Red Bull driver unable to find the pace to seriously threaten the front-runners on this occasion.
Among the sprint race headlines, Williams’ Alexander Albon was forced to start from the pit lane after stewards found an illegal set-up change on his car ahead of the race — a costly blow for the Thai-British driver. Sergio Perez received a 10-second penalty for a collision with Fernando Alonso. Nico Hülkenberg and Liam Lawson were placed under investigation for separate incidents.
Main Race Qualifying: Antonelli Secures Pole
If the sprint win raised eyebrows, Saturday’s qualifying session for the main race left little room for doubt. Antonelli set a blistering lap of 1:28.111 — over a tenth and a half faster than anyone else — to claim his first pole position at Silverstone. Leclerc slotted into second at 0.175 seconds behind, with Hamilton qualifying third for Ferrari.
The rest of the top seven: George Russell in fourth for Mercedes, Isack Hadjar fifth, Norris sixth, and Verstappen seventh. The Red Bull driver’s struggles in qualifying continue, leaving him with work to do in this afternoon’s race.
Race Day Preview: Can Anyone Stop Antonelli?
Antonelli goes into this afternoon’s grand prix in remarkable form. Starting from pole, with a sprint win behind him, and a Mercedes that has looked dominant in race trim this weekend, it will take something special from Leclerc, Hamilton, Norris, or Russell to deny him a first British GP victory.
Leclerc’s second-row starting position gives Ferrari genuine hope. Hamilton’s experience at Silverstone — a track where he has been almost untouchable throughout his career — should not be underestimated. And McLaren, with Norris starting sixth, will be looking to make inroads through strategy if the race pace allows.
The British crowd will be split between willing Hamilton on in his first British GP in Ferrari red, and experiencing the coronation of a new talent in Antonelli. Whatever happens, Silverstone rarely disappoints.
Lights out at 2pm BST (9pm SGT). Catch the action on Sky Sports F1 or the official Formula 1 app.
Also read: British Grand Prix 2026 preview | Austrian GP race report | Austrian GP qualifying report
