Lewis Hamilton will lead the field for the 2026 Formula 1 British Grand Prix Sprint after producing a brilliant lap in Sprint Qualifying at Silverstone.
The Ferrari star edged Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds to claim only the third Sprint pole position of his Formula 1 career. It was a memorable performance in front of his home fans and gives Ferrari a strong opportunity to challenge for Sprint victory.
Antonelli continued to impress with another outstanding qualifying display, earning a place on the front row alongside Hamilton. The young Mercedes driver came within a fraction of a second of taking pole and will be aiming to fight for the lead when the Sprint begins.
Max Verstappen qualified third for Red Bull, keeping himself firmly in the battle at the front. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc backed up Hamilton’s pace by securing fourth, giving the Scuderia two cars in the top four.
Mercedes also enjoyed a competitive session with George Russell qualifying fifth, while McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will start from sixth and seventh respectively.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar claimed eighth on the grid, with Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad completing the top ten after strong performances in Sprint Qualifying.
Further down the order, Pierre Gasly will start 11th for Alpine, ahead of Audi pair Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg. Franco Colapinto qualified 14th for Alpine, while Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon will line up 15th and 16th.
Haas faces an uphill battle after Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon qualified 17th and 18th respectively. Cadillac’s Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas occupy the 19th and 20th positions, while Aston Martin endured a disappointing session, leaving Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll to start from the final row.
2026 British Grand Prix Sprint Starting Grid
Position Driver Team
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari
5 George Russell Mercedes
6 Lando Norris McLaren
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls
10 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls
11 Pierre Gasly Alpine
12 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi
13 Nico Hulkenberg Audi
14 Franco Colapinto Alpine
15 Carlos Sainz Williams
16 Alex Albon Williams
17 Oliver Bearman Haas
18 Esteban Ocon Haas
19 Sergio Perez Cadillac
20 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac
21 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin
22 Lance Stroll Aston Martin
With Hamilton starting from pole and Ferrari showing impressive pace, Saturday’s Sprint race promises an exciting battle, with Antonelli, Verstappen and Leclerc all well positioned to challenge for victory at Silverstone.
