Hamilton Takes Home Sprint Pole at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton lit up his home crowd at Silverstone on Friday, topping Sprint Qualifying for the 2026 British Grand Prix. The seven-time World Champion set a best lap of 1:28.376 to edge championship leader Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds, securing pole position for Saturday’s Sprint.

Fastest all day

Hamilton was quickest in every phase of the session, having already led practice earlier in the day. His Ferrari held top spot through SQ1, SQ2 and SQ3, and the final margin over Antonelli’s Mercedes came down to just 0.011 seconds. “An amazing surprise,” Hamilton said, adding that he had expected Silverstone to be more difficult for Ferrari than the previous round at the Red Bull Ring.

The order behind him

Max Verstappen qualified third for Red Bull, just over three tenths back, with Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc a fraction further adrift in fourth. George Russell — winner of last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix — lined up fifth for Mercedes. McLaren had a tougher time of it, Lando Norris recovering from brake-duct damage to edge team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Respect in parc fermé

There was warmth in parc fermé, too. Both Mercedes drivers came over to congratulate Hamilton — Kimi Antonelli, the man he pipped to pole by 0.011 seconds, and George Russell, last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix winner. A sporting nod to a standout Friday lap.

2026 British Grand Prix — Sprint Qualifying, top 10

1. Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — 1:28.376
2. Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — +0.011
3. Max Verstappen — Red Bull — +0.321
4. Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +0.327
5. George Russell — Mercedes — +0.357
6. Lando Norris — McLaren — +0.364
7. Oscar Piastri — McLaren — +0.396
8. Isack Hadjar — Red Bull — +0.459
9. Liam Lawson — Racing Bulls — +0.551
10. Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls — +0.991

Pole sets the grid for Saturday’s Sprint; the Sprint itself, and qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix, follow on Saturday.

The collector’s eye

The picture of the day was Hamilton punching the air alongside his gold-finish Ferrari helmet — the #44 design he carries in red. Its metallic-gold shell, prancing-horse detailing and Richard Mille and Perplexity graphics make it one of the most recognisable lids on the current grid, and a natural centrepiece for any display shelf. It is exactly the kind of livery collectors gravitate to: era-defining, driver-specific, and instantly readable from across a room.

Display/collector replica. Not certified for protective use.