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Hamilton Snags Silverstone Sprint Pole by 0.011s

7/3/2026

Summary

Hamilton Secures Pole

Lewis Hamilton, seven-time champion, secured Sprint-qualifying pole at Silverstone on 2026-07-03, beating Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes driver, by 0.011 seconds.
Kimi Antonelli posted the second-fastest lap, also 0.011 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver, qualified third 0.321 seconds slower than Lewis Hamilton, while Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver, was fourth 0.327 seconds off Hamilton’s time.
Lewis Hamilton’s practice best lap of 1:29.260 was 0.213 seconds quicker than Kimi Antonelli’s.

Summary

Channel 4 Airs

Channel 4 will air the British Grand Prix free-to-air, with Sky Sports F1 retaining exclusive live coverage.
Only one free-practice session will precede sprint qualifying, the first sprint weekend at Silverstone since 2021.
Forecasts call for dry weather, temperatures from 21 °C Friday to 27 °C Sunday, and winds of 13-16 mph.
Silverstone stays on the F1 calendar through 2034, where Hamilton holds the record of nine British Grand Prix wins.

History

Historical Context

Formula 1 introduced sprint qualifying at Silverstone in July 2021, running a 17-lap, 108-km race that awarded three points to the winner, Max Verstappen. The experiment reshaped weekend schedules and helped secure a new agreement keeping the British Grand Prix at Silverstone until 2034, cementing the sprint’s role in modern F1.

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Hamilton Secures Pole

Lewis Hamilton, seven-time champion, secured Sprint-qualifying pole at Silverstone on 2026-07-03, beating Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes driver, by 0.011 seconds.
Kimi Antonelli posted the second-fastest lap, also 0.011 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver, qualified third 0.321 seconds slower than Lewis Hamilton, while Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver, was fourth 0.327 seconds off Hamilton’s time.
Lewis Hamilton’s practice best lap of 1:29.260 was 0.213 seconds quicker than Kimi Antonelli’s.

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