Kimi Antonelli won the British Grand Prix Sprint at Silverstone after passing Lewis Hamilton on lap eight of the 17-lap race. The Mercedes driver claimed the first Sprint win of his Formula 1 career and stretched his championship lead over George Russell to 43 points.
Hamilton Leads, Then Loses Out
Hamilton started from pole position and held Antonelli off at the start, but the move did not last. Antonelli got ahead on lap eight and finished 2.7 seconds clear, leaving Hamilton second after a race that was shaped by one clean overtake and a short chase to the flag.
Antonelli said, "It was a very fun first 10 laps with Lewis, we were both pushing very hard." He added, "The momentum is there. We are doing a great job together with the team but we cannot let our guard lower."
Russell, Norris and the Points Line
George Russell finished fourth after being unable to pass Lando Norris for third, with Norris completing a five-car battle for that place. Charles Leclerc took fifth, Max Verstappen sixth and Oscar Piastri seventh.
Liam Lawson finished eighth and took the final point, but he now faces a post-race investigation after a defensive move in the closing stages. Antonelli also pointed to the wider fight when he said, "Lewis and Ferrari are doing an incredible job. Red Bull and McLaren are coming and George is super quick. We just need to keep raising that bar and keep delivering performances."
The Sprint adds only three points, so the gain is small even after a win, but it still matters because the lead over Russell moved to 43 points. Qualifying was scheduled later on Saturday at 4pm, with build-up from 2.50pm, and the British Grand Prix was scheduled for Sunday at 3pm.
