Lewis Hamilton took pole for the British Grand Prix sprint race at Silverstone on Friday, edging Kimi Antonelli by 11 thousandths of a second in Ferrari. The result gave Hamilton the sharpest start to the weekend and put him on the front foot at his home race.
He posted a 1 minute 28.376 seconds lap to beat Antonelli, with Max Verstappen third. Hamilton had already been fastest from Antonelli in first practice and then topped the timesheets in each session of sprint qualifying.
Hamilton and Antonelli at Silverstone
Hamilton said afterward: “I love this place, I love this crowd, and I can’t express to you how big a dream it is”. He added: “I’m really grateful to get that pole. I was quick through all the session but still, it was only 10 milliseconds, so it was very close to these guys.”
He also pointed to the work needed around the lap, saying: “Still to this day when you’re building up to this race you think about every corner and the flow you can get into at this track if you get the setup right and if you’ve got the right team behind you.” The margin was tiny, but the lap kept him ahead of Antonelli on a day when the Silverstone order stayed tight at the top.
Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull
Ferrari had been expected to be somewhat on the back foot to Mercedes at the power-dominated track, yet Hamilton still took sprint pole. Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari, George Russell was fifth, Norris was sixth and Oscar Piastri was seventh.
The front row therefore broke the pre-session shape. Antonelli had the pace to stay within 11 thousandths of a second, but Hamilton turned the pressure into the leading lap when it mattered most.
Silverstone crowd and Saturday sprint
Across the British Grand Prix weekend, approximately 570,000 people are expected at Silverstone. Female attendance now makes up 43% of sales at the British Grand Prix, and the Landostand at Stowe corner has been increased to a 20,000 capacity this year.
The sprint race is scheduled for Saturday morning at Silverstone, with Hamilton starting from pole and Antonelli and Verstappen close behind. After Friday’s result, the job changes from qualifying pace to holding that position over the shorter race distance.
