Andrea Kimi Antonelli took a convincing Formula 1 British Grand Prix Sprint victory after overtaking Lewis Hamilton midway through the race.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Antonelli defeats Hamilton
- Norris makes it a British 2-3 at Silverstone
- Russell maintains pride with Verstappen and Leclerc battle
The Italian took advantage of Hamilton’s expenditure of energy in the Ferrari to streak ahead at the Hangar Straight and held firm to take the win.
Hamilton held onto second, with Lando Norris performing well to take third place, with George Russell moving up from fifth to fourth, ahead of Charles Leclerc.
McLarens go supersonic as Hamilton fends off Antonelli at the start
At lights out, Antonelli got a better start, but Hamilton gently squeezed him and swept around the outside to keep the lead.
Norris and Piastri were up to third and fourth, with Leclerc dropping to seventh. On Hangar Straight, Norris got a good run at Antonelli but he was far enough ahead to cover him off, but giving Hamilton a one second lead going into Lap 2.
Verstappen and Leclerc dispatched Piastri, but the Australian was back ahead of the Ferrari quickly, with Russell now fourth and harrying Norris ahead.
Into Lap 3, and Verstappen was ahead of Russell, and momentarily Norris, too, but the reigning World Champion nullified that challenge quickly and retook third.
Russell dropped into a battle with Piastri, the pair yo-yoing fifth and sixth, with Leclerc starting to look racey behind them.
Leclerc got past on the exit of the Wellington straight and set his sights on Russell, who now sunk behind Verstappen and Norris, with Hamilton maintaining his advantage over Antonelli.
Lap 6, and Hamilton was beginning to feel the #12 Silver Arrows of Antonelli home into view, the Italian knocking half-a-second out of his lead.
Norris was now a second ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull in third, and that was the gap roughly separating him from Russell, and from the Brit’s Mercedes to Leclerc.
Antonelli now had the hammer down and on Lap 8, he tried to take Hamilton at Brooklands, but was fended off, but on the Hangar straight, the Ferrari’s battery said ‘no more’ and with no juice left, Antonelli sauntered past into the lead.
Norris was now four seconds behind, but two in front of Verstappen, who then lost fourth to Russell at the Hangar Straight, but the Dutchman did not give up.
At Turns 1, 2 and 3, the Red Bull clung to Russell’s Mercedes but couldn’t find a way ahead, and by default, handed Leclerc a key to unlock the door into the battle with them.
This time, it would be the Ferrari that held the superior energy into Stowe, and nipped into fifth ahead of Verstappen.
Antonelli stretches ahead of Hamilton to take victory
At the front, Hamilton was not entirely disadvantaged, and held around a second’s gap to Antonelli, hoping the ‘people power’ of the Silverstone crowd would spur him on and back into the lead.
Unfortunately, the W17 was holding extra grunt to put Antonelli a further couple of tenths ahead, with Hamilton comfortably holding second, five seconds ahead of Norris in third.
With just a few laps to go, Antonelli looked comfy out in the lead with Norris seemingly able to maintain a two second advantage over Russell, who had Leclerc just one second behind.
Now on the penultimate lap, Antonelli stretched out his lead even further, just under two seconds ahead of Hamilton, with Norris feeling Russell inch ever closer.
Further back, Hadjar furiously called for Liam Lawson to be penalised, as the Racing Bulls appeared to squeeze the Red Bull at Luffield whilst holding on to eighth place.
No such problems for Antonelli, who took victory ahead of Hamilton, Norris, Russell, Leclerc and Verstappen, with Piastri seventh and Lawson holding on to eighth ahead of Hadjar, with Lindblad 10th.
READ MORE – F1 2026 British Grand Prix – Sprint Race Results
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