Lewis Hamilton driving for Scuderia Ferrari HP secured Sprint Pole in his home crowd at Silverstone, finishing 0.011 seconds ahead of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team’s Kimi Antonelli in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying.
Air temperatures reached 25.5°C, while track registered temperatures in the mid-forties on a warm afternoon at Silverstone. Drivers completed SQ1 and SQ2 on the mandatory medium compound before switching to soft tyres for SQ3, with tyre allocation remaining an important consideration ahead of Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix.
SQ1: Ferrari Set the Early Benchmark
SQ1: Ferrari Set the Early Benchmark
After a quiet start, the session came to life as the first wave of drivers headed out for their opening runs, with Cadillac F1 Team among the first to send both cars onto the circuit. Sergio Pérez posted the first representative lap with a 1:31.862, before Hamilton moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:29.582, ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson, and George Russell.
The benchmark continued to fall as Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar briefly went fastest with a 1:29.470, only for Hamilton to respond with a 1:29.273 to restore Ferrari to the top. Leclerc completed a Ferrari one-two, while Antonelli remained within striking distance in third. Lawson also impressed, moving ahead of Russell as Ferrari established themselves as the early pace setters.
The order shifted once again when Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar briefly went fastest with a 1:29.470, only for Hamilton to reclaim top spot moments later with a 1:29.273. Finishing 0.107 seconds clear of Leclerc, Ferrari established themselves as the early pace setters. While Antonelli continued to keep within touching distance in third.
The fight to progress proved just as close. Williams F1 Team’s Alexander Albon found enough time on his last lap for an improvement to climb into 14th, knocking MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s Oliver Bearman of SQ2 contention by just 0.010 seconds at a home race. Those eliminated in SQ1 were Esteban Ocon, Sergio Pérez, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll.
SQ2 : Lawson and Lindblad Impress as Ferrari Stay Ahead
Track temperatures dropped to around 40°C as the 10-minute second segment got underway still on medium compounds.
McLaren Formula 1 Team CEO Zak Brown Lando Norris had sustained minor rear brake duct damage in SQ1, leaving him with a small aerodynamic loss for the remainder of Sprint Qualifying.
Max Verstappen briefly moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:29.242, before Lewis Hamilton restored Ferrari to the front with a 1:28.747. Though Antonelli remained Hamilton’s closest challenger, finishing 0.099 seconds behind, while Charles Leclerc secured third.
With two minutes remaining, several drivers were still fighting to secure a place in SQ3. Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad delivered when it mattered most, climbing to fourth and eighth respectively with their final laps. Despite the damage, Norris held on to the last SQ3 spot, finishing just 0.081 seconds ahead of Pierre Gasly.
Eliminated in SQ2 were Pierre Gasly, Gabriel Bortoleto, Nico Hülkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Carlos Sainz, and Alexander Albon.
SQ3: Hamilton Secures Sprint Pole
The final eight-minute shootout saw the grid switch to the soft compounds, with teams opting for a single flying lap as tyre performance offered little opportunity for a second push. McLaren also completed repairs to Norris’ front-right brake duct.
Oscar Piastri McLaren Formula 1 Team was the first to set a representative lap before Norris briefly moved to the top of the timesheets. Antonelli then raised the benchmark with a 1:28.387, putting himself on provisional Sprint Pole as the remaining contenders completed their laps.
However, Hamilton stopped the clock at 1:28.376, securing Sprint Pole at his home circuit by just 0.011 seconds over Antonelli. Verstappen claimed third for Oracle Red Bull Racing, while Leclerc and Russell rounded out the top five. Norris qualified sixth ahead of Piastri in seventh, with Hadjar, Lawson, and rookie Lindblad completing the top 10.
Speaking after Sprint Qualifying, Hamilton said: “I’m really grateful to get the pole. I was quick, but it was only ten milliseconds or something like that, so I’m really grateful.“— Lewis Hamilton, Scuderia Ferrari HP
“I’m really grateful to get the pole. I was quick, but it was only ten milliseconds or something like that, so I’m really grateful.”— Lewis Hamilton, Scuderia Ferrari HP (Formula 1)
Hamilton will now lead the field away for Saturday’s Sprint, with Antonelli lining up alongside him on the front row as Ferrari look to build on a strong qualifying performance at Silverstone.