Silverstone Qualifying results: Kimi Antonelli takes 2026 F1 British GP Pole

In an incredible Saturday double at the 2026 F1 British GP, Kimi Antonelli completely dominated the day for Mercedes. After hunting down Lewis Hamilton to claim his first-ever F1 Sprint victory, the 19-year-old championship leader put together a masterclass final lap in Q3. Clocking a 1:28.111, he held off the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to secure his fifth grand prix pole position of the season.

The session started with massive drama. George Russell locked up heading into Luffield, slid completely sideways through the gravel trap, and took a glancing blow against the barrier. He managed to limp back to the pits with front-wing damage, and his Mercedes mechanics did an incredible job to fix the car and get him through to the next phase.

Meanwhile, it was an utter disaster for Aston Martin. Neither driver could find any grip in the tricky wind conditions, resulting in a shocking double-elimination at their home race. The biggest surprise of Q2 was the raw pace of the Red Bull and Racing Bulls cars. Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar posted the fifth-fastest time, while teenagers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson both comfortably dragged their Racing Bulls into the top 10.

Charles Leclerc put together a tremendous lap to snatch 2nd away, while Lewis Hamilton — struggling slightly with understeer and energy deployment — settled for 3rd. George Russell took 4th, complaining of a mysterious straight-line speed deficit following his Q1 crash. McLaren had a rough session, heavily struggling with grip as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could only manage 6th and 8th.

The final shootout provided high tactical drama. Mercedes sent Antonelli out first on the track for the final runs, which noticeably frustrated the Italian over the team radio ("I never really like going first for the last run!"). He feared he would lose out on crucial track evolution. But his fears were totally unfounded. Driving with absolute, unyielding commitment through the high-speed Maggots-Becketts complex, Antonelli smashed the purple sectors to log an untouchable 1:28.111.

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