Kimi Antonelli Pressures Russell After British F1 Sprint

Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 British F1 Sprint Race after defeating Lewis Hamilton in a direct battle at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Antonelli started the Sprint from second and immediately slotted in behind Hamilton after the launch. The front two then pulled away from a major fight for third place involving Lando Norris, George Russell and Max Verstappen in the opening phase of the race.

Hamilton kept the lead across the first seven laps, but Antonelli continued to pressure the Ferrari. His first attempt came before the Wellington Straight before he called off the move, but the momentum shifted one lap later.

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On Lap 8 of 17, Antonelli passed Hamilton on the Hangar Straight to take over the lead. Once ahead, the Mercedes driver did not lose the position again and secured the maximum eight points from the Sprint.

Hamilton kept Antonelli honest after being passed and finished 2.7 seconds behind. Behind them, Lando Norris used a strong start from sixth to climb to third, emerging ahead of Russell and Verstappen in the early battle.

Russell finished fourth in the second Mercedes, while Charles Leclerc took fifth after starting fourth. Verstappen faded to sixth as the Sprint progressed, ahead of Oscar Piastri, with Liam Lawson taking the final point after defeating Isack Hadjar.

The victory strengthened Antonelli's position as championship leader by extending his advantage over Russell, who finished only fourth. Attention now turns to the rest of the 2026 British F1 weekend, where Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull will continue the fight for the main points at Silverstone.