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Hamilton Takes Silverstone Sprint Pole; Albon Sent to Pit Lane

7/4/2026

33 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Hamilton Secures Pole

Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) secured pole for the Sprint at Silverstone with a 1:28.376 lap, 0.011 seconds ahead of Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes).
Alex Albon (Williams) will start from the pit lane after his team altered his suspension under parc-fermé without technical approval.
Most drivers used medium-compound tyres for the Sprint, while Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll ran on soft rubber.

Summary

Norris Third

McLaren ran a green-and-white throwback livery at Silverstone.
Alex Albon started from the pit lane after an unauthorized suspension change under parc-fermé.
Medium tyres dominated, with Bottas, Alonso and Stroll on softs.
Engineers said hybrid-era energy rules created overtaking hotspots on Hangar Straight and Stowe.
Around 16,000 fans filled the Landostand at Stowe and cheered Lando Norris’s third place.

History

Historical Context

The 2014 FIA rule change introduced 1.6-litre V6 turbo-hybrid power units, and Mercedes-powered W05 cars won 16 of the season’s 19 races, establishing a new era of dominance. That hybrid-era framework still shapes today’s British Grand Prix, where FIA-enforced parc-fermé rules forced Alex Albon to start from the pit lane and compel rivals such as Ferrari to fine-tune tyre and suspension setups.

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Hamilton Secures Pole

Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) secured pole for the Sprint at Silverstone with a 1:28.376 lap, 0.011 seconds ahead of Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes).
Alex Albon (Williams) will start from the pit lane after his team altered his suspension under parc-fermé without technical approval.
Most drivers used medium-compound tyres for the Sprint, while Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll ran on soft rubber.

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