Silverstone, UK — Silverstone delivered another typical day of changeable conditions as gusty winds swept across the Northamptonshire circuit. Despite temperatures reaching a pleasant 24°C, the famous Silverstone breeze remained a major factor throughout Sprint Qualifying, catching out drivers as they fought for every thousandth of a second.

SQ1: Ferrari Show Early Promise

The opening phase of Sprint Qualifying saw Ferrari immediately emerge as a genuine contender. Lewis Hamilton set the early benchmark, with teammate Charles Leclerc following closely behind as the Scuderia extracted impressive pace from the medium compound tyres.

There was a brief surprise when Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar jumped to the top of the timing screens, demonstrating just how quickly conditions were evolving.

At the other end of the order, Aston Martin endured another difficult session, with both cars eliminated in SQ1 as their struggles continued.

SQ2: Hamilton Stays on Top, Lawson Impresses

Hamilton maintained his momentum in SQ2, once again leading the field as Ferrari looked increasingly comfortable around the high-speed Silverstone circuit.

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli produced another eye-catching performance to split the Ferraris, moving into second ahead of Leclerc, while home favourite George Russell could only manage eighth during the early runs.

Liam Lawson was one of the stars of the session, putting together an outstanding lap to place his Racing Bulls machine fourth and comfortably secure a place in the final shootout.

The closing moments proved tense for several drivers. Russell found enough pace to climb to seventh and avoid elimination, while Lando Norris was left hanging on until the final seconds, scraping into SQ3 by the narrowest of margins.

SQ3: Hamilton Delivers When It Matters

With only a handful of minutes to decide Sprint Pole, every lap carried enormous significance.

Oscar Piastri was the first driver to lay down a benchmark worthy of pole position, but Hamilton had the final answer. The Ferrari driver produced a superb lap to snatch Sprint Pole, continuing his impressive form throughout qualifying.

Antonelli came within a whisker of denying Hamilton, securing an excellent second place for Mercedes, while Max Verstappen claimed third. Leclerc completed a strong day for Ferrari in fourth, with Russell salvaging fifth after a difficult qualifying.

McLaren, expected to challenge near the front, could only manage sixth and seventh, with Norris finishing ahead of teammate Piastri despite the Australian’s early pace in the final session.

Ferrari Strike First

Heading into the weekend, many expected Mercedes to dominate around Silverstone. Instead, it was Ferrari that seized the initiative, with Hamilton converting the Scuderia’s encouraging pace into Sprint Pole despite the widespread belief that the SF-26 is still marginally slower than its rivals over a single lap.

Mercedes, however, remain firmly in contention. Antonelli finished just a fraction behind Hamilton, suggesting the Silver Arrows have the pace to challenge in Saturday’s Sprint Race.

While Ferrari have drawn first blood, victory is far from guaranteed. With Antonelli alongside Hamilton on the front row and Verstappen lurking just behind, the battle for Sprint honours promises to be one of the highlights of the Silverstone weekend.

2026 British Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying: Results