Antonelli Beats Hamilton to Win British GP Sprint and Extend Title Lead

Posted : 04 July 2026

Kimi Antonelli secured his first Sprint victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season after overtaking Lewis Hamilton to win the British Grand Prix Sprint at Silverstone.

The Mercedes driver started alongside Sprint pole-sitter Hamilton and settled into second place after the opening lap. While the pair pulled clear at the front, an intense battle for third unfolded behind them involving Lando Norris, George Russell and Max Verstappen.

Antonelli steadily closed the gap to Hamilton during the opening stages of the 17-lap race. He briefly looked to make a move before the Wellington Straight but chose not to commit.

One lap later, the Italian made his decisive move. Using the slipstream on the Hangar Straight, Antonelli powered past Hamilton on lap eight and immediately established control of the race.

From there, the championship leader managed the gap to the finish, crossing the line 2.7 seconds ahead of Hamilton to collect the maximum eight Sprint points. The victory also increased his lead in the drivers' championship over Mercedes teammate George Russell.

Hamilton remained within striking distance for much of the second half of the race but was unable to challenge Antonelli for the lead. The Ferrari driver had to settle for second after starting from pole position.

McLaren's Lando Norris completed the podium after making an excellent start from sixth on the grid. Norris gained several positions during the opening laps and emerged ahead of the battles involving Russell and Verstappen to secure third place.

Russell finished fourth for Mercedes after losing out to Norris early in the race but maintained a solid points finish. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crossed the line in fifth after dropping one place from his starting position.

Verstappen struggled to maintain his early pace and slipped to sixth by the chequered flag. McLaren's Oscar Piastri finished seventh after a largely uneventful race.

RB driver Liam Lawson produced an impressive performance to finish eighth, earning the final Sprint point and breaking the dominance of Formula 1's top four teams. Isack Hadjar narrowly missed out in ninth after expressing frustration over one of Lawson's defensive moves during their battle.

Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10, while Sergio Perez endured a difficult race. The Cadillac driver received a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Fernando Alonso and later pitted for a new front wing, leaving him to finish at the back of the field.

Antonelli's victory gives Mercedes further momentum heading into qualifying for Sunday's British Grand Prix, while Hamilton and Ferrari will look to turn their strong one-lap pace into a race-winning challenge.

Antonelli Beats Hamilton to Win British GP Sprint and Extend Title Lead

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics