Ferrari continued their impressive start to the 2026 British Grand Prix weekend as Sprint Qualifying at Silverstone produced an exciting mix of standout performances and surprise eliminations ahead of Saturday’s Sprint race.
After showing excellent pace during the opening practice session, Ferrari carried that momentum into Sprint Qualifying. The Scuderia topped the timesheets throughout the opening segment, with both of their drivers setting the fastest laps in SQ1 to underline the team’s growing confidence around the iconic Silverstone circuit.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton then responded in style during SQ2, putting Ferrari back at the top by setting the quickest lap of the session. Hamilton’s performance reinforced the team’s strong form and placed him among the leading contenders heading into the final Sprint Qualifying shootout.
While Ferrari celebrated another encouraging display, several home favourites endured a more difficult session. Mercedes driver George Russell struggled to match the pace of the front-runners and ended SQ2 in seventh position, leaving him with work to do for the Sprint.
McLaren’s Lando Norris also experienced a tense qualifying session. Brake duct damage affected his performance, leaving him down in 10th place in SQ2. Norris survived elimination by less than a tenth of a second, narrowly progressing despite the technical issue that limited his pace.
Further down the order, Haas suffered one of its toughest qualifying performances of the season. British driver Oliver Bearman was eliminated in SQ1 and will start 17th for the Sprint, while teammate Esteban Ocon qualified just behind him in 18th. Their early exits were among the biggest surprises of the session.
Cadillac also endured a disappointing afternoon at Silverstone, with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas both failing to advance beyond SQ1. Perez secured 19th place, while Bottas finished 20th.
Aston Martin experienced an even more frustrating outing, as neither of their drivers escaped the opening phase. Fernando Alonso qualified 21st, with teammate Lance Stroll ending the session in 22nd and last place on the grid.
Williams, meanwhile, enjoyed a small but important boost after a difficult run of recent qualifying results. Carlos Sainz narrowly advanced into SQ2 by just one hundredth of a second, ending the team’s recent streak of early exits. Although both Williams drivers were eventually eliminated in SQ2, Sainz claimed 15th on the Sprint grid while teammate Alex Albon secured 16th.
The drivers eliminated during SQ2 were Pierre Gasly, Gabriel Bortoleto, Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, leaving the remaining 10 drivers to battle for Sprint pole in SQ3.
The 2026 Formula 1 season has also introduced several changes to the Sprint Qualifying format. With the arrival of Cadillac expanding the grid to 22 cars, six drivers are now eliminated in both SQ1 and SQ2 instead of five. This leaves 10 drivers to contest the final SQ3 session.
Despite the larger field, the Sprint Qualifying session lengths remain unchanged. SQ1 lasts 12 minutes, SQ2 runs for 10 minutes and SQ3 is eight minutes long. This differs from standard Grand Prix qualifying, where Q3 has been extended by one minute to a total of 13 minutes under the 2026 regulations.
With Ferrari demonstrating exceptional speed throughout Friday and Hamilton continuing his impressive form at Silverstone, the stage is set for a thrilling Sprint race as the battle for British Grand Prix honours intensifies.
