#1158 2026 British Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has assessed his prospects for the British Grand Prix after what he labelled a reality check for Ferrari last time out in Austria, with the seven-time World Champion hopeful that the energy from his home crowd can bring him that extra bit of speed. Hamilton will return to Silverstone this weekend for his second home event since joining the Scuderia, the track being one at which he has scored a record-breaking nine victories and enjoyed plenty of memorable moments across the years. Reflecting firstly on the bond between himself, the fans and the circuit, Hamilton explained during Thursday’s media day: 

"It goes 20 years strong, so it's pretty deep. It's been building for a long, long time, since my first pole position here in 2007. It's phenomenal when you come here. I heard that we're going to have the biggest crowd this weekend that we've probably ever had. It's such a privilege for us Brits to be here, representing the country, also in the height of all these great sporting moments - you've got Wimbledon going on, and the World Cup as well, with England winning yesterday which was good as well".

Looking back at the Austrian Grand Prix - where he finished in fifth place, just two weeks on from his commanding win in Barcelona - Hamilton shared further insight into why the weekend was a reality check for Ferrari, the squad having struggled to match the pace of their rivals.

"Obviously we had some great performances before, but the fact is, as you can see in the race, we lose quite a lot of time - I think it's like four tenths of a lap we lose in a straight line, so it's hard to recover that through corners. I think we've got a great car, fundamentally. We've just got to continue to work until we maximise what we can and get the best results we can, and score as many points as we can until we can close that deficit".

Asked if he felt more confident about the weekend ahead at Silverstone - with the track’s faster corners being more reminiscent of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya - Hamilton answered:

"It's not that I'm not confident, it's the fact that we've got long straights. I think this is going to be the most unprecedented weekend in terms of the power deployment".

The Briton also insisted that he is not thinking about how it would feel to clinch a 10th win at the track, but acknowledged that the team have been tapping into his expertise around the iconic circuit in their preparations for the event, which will also feature the fourth Sprint of the season.

"My engineers have been asking me, how did you do it, what did you do, and how do you normally run the car here, so I hope that I've steered them in the right direction. But we only have one practice session tomorrow, so it's going to be definitely a challenge throughout. I'm really not thinking about the trophy. I don't think any of the drivers actually think about it. You think about just obviously executing the best you can through the weekend, trying to bring the right energy, absorbing the amazing energy that we have here from all the fans. I think Nigel said it best - on your home turf you get that extra bit of speed coming from the energy from the fans, so I'm hoping that propels us and helps us close the gaps to those guys that are ahead".

Charles Leclerc has admitted that the high number of straights at Silverstone are unlikely to play to Ferrari’s strengths, warning that the team don’t expect to be particularly strong across the weekend. The Monegasque has struggled for form in recent rounds, with crashes, issues and a lack of pace leading to him scoring just four points in the last three events - that was thanks to a P8 finish in the Austrian Grand Prix, which was a disappointing result after starting on the front row of the grid. Leclerc's hopes are subsequently low for this weekend’s British Grand Prix, which his team mate Lewis Hamilton has won a record nine times. Leclerc has never stood on the top step at Silverstone, and believes that Ferrari’s weaknesses on such a track layout will limit his performance once again.

"It's a Sprint weekend which I quite enjoy, but at the same time, it's not a weekend where we expect to be particularly strong. I think for the same reasons as Austria where there were quite a lot of straights. Here it's a lot more straights, not that many corners to recover energy, so I expect a difficult weekend on our side. Unfortunately, the next two weekends on paper are not very favourable to our car but we'll try our best. I've been working very hard over the last couple of weeks. The Saturday of Austria was a lot better. On Sunday in the race we were not so strong as a team and I struggled with a few things as well so I just keep working, keep my head down and I hope that better days will come".

Asked to elaborate on why there was such a drop-off over the weekend in Austria, Leclerc added:

"Honestly, a bit of what I was saying for this track. I think on the Thursday I was still sceptical. I think the biggest surprise was more the Saturday than the Sunday. In a way, the Saturday gave us hope for the Sunday but before the weekend we kind of expected to be struggling in the straights. On the Saturday we were very strong in corners so that compensated that but on the Sunday when you need to tyre manage, then the straight line speed was even more important and we were struggling".

On a day when Ferrari found tyre management challenging, Leclerc was unable to keep up with his rivals at the Red Bull Ring and gradually dropped down the order, ultimately crossing the line 45s behind race winner George Russell. It was a harsh contrast to their superior pace and strategy at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, where Hamilton claimed his maiden victory with the team, but Leclerc explained that they are aware they have plenty to target to fix their inconsistent form.

"Honestly, it’s in every single area. Personally, there's a feeling that just doesn't stack up exactly, so I put a bit more importance on some areas, but I'll say it's as a whole to try and understand and find some performance. In Austria it was a very good Saturday, a less good Sunday, and for that reason we have a lot of work to do. However, for this weekend I think where we'll be lacking is [due to] something we don't have a solution for, which is the power unit, but I'll keep my head down and try to maximise everything".

Kimi Antonelli has admitted to taking the biggest lessons from his last two race weekends after experiencing issues in both, with the Italian stating that this has left him with a fire inside ahead of the British Grand Prix. A technical issue on his Mercedes saw Antonelli record his first DNF of the season in Barcelona, while a mistake in Qualifying at the next round in Austria cost the youngster a potential spot on the front row of the grid, leaving him with extra work to do on Sunday from P4. Antonelli’s recovery drive saw him nearly catch Max Verstappen for P2 on race day, but a victory for team mate George Russell - who has returned to second place in the Drivers’ Championship - means that the 19-year-old’s lead is now down to 40 points. Despite those setbacks, Antonelli is confident that the momentum remains with him arriving into Silverstone.

"I have a big fire inside me because I think the last two races obviously didn't go well, considering the pace we had. I think in Barcelona, the race was going well but obviously we had the issue which was unfortunate. In Austria I felt very good in the car, but in Qualifying I relaxed a little bit too much during the session and just didn't extract the best out of the car, the tyres. And then obviously there was the thing with the yellow flag, which George managed well - he did what he had to do. My side, I just didn't do a good enough job, also the timing was not the best for me because I was just entering the corner. Then in Austria I think I lost the race in the first stint with the first laps going off. I struggled with the brakes and lost a lot of time, so I feel like obviously without that it would have given me a better chance to fight for the victory, or at least for P2. For sure it's been, let's not say a difficult couple of races because still we were up there, but definitely looking forward to this weekend to put things more together and maximise better the result".

Antonelli went on to explain the learnings he has taken from those recent events, adding: 

"Definitely one of the biggest lessons is that you have to be ready for anything and be ready to take every opportunity, and [that you] always have to maximise every session because you never know what can happen. It can happen that you have bad weekends where you just don't feel great in the car, so the biggest lesson was never let your guard down and just always stay hungry and always try to maximise everything. Of course, I feel there's a big fire inside me ahead of this weekend, but of course still remembering to focus on the procedure, on what I have to do, and trying to drive as fast as I can".

In terms of his prospects for the British Grand Prix, Antonelli believes that the W17 will perform well - but also acknowledged the threat posed by the Silver Arrows’ rivals on a weekend where the Sprint will make its fourth appearance of the season.

"I’m very excited. I think it's one of the best weekends of the season and one of the best tracks and crowds, so I’m really looking forward to it. Hopefully it's going to be a good weekend - the car is very strong, but of course we expect Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari to be up there as well. I’m really looking forward to it and also it’s a Sprint weekend, so it’s going to be a good challenge".

George Russell has conceded that while he has faith in his own abilities, he’s still not entirely comfortable with Mercedes’ 2026 challenger and is looking to gain confidence of how to get the car in the sweet spot at the British Grand Prix. The 28-year-old has come out the other side of a poor run of form that saw him retire from the Canadian Grand Prix and fail to score in Monaco, finally returning to the top step of the podium with a hard-fought victory at the Red Bull Ring. It marked his first race win since the season opener in Australia and helped him reclaim P2 in the standings, 40 points adrift of his team mate Kimi Antonelli - who found a rhythm with his W17 early on and has triumphed five times so far. Hoping that the Austrian Grand Prix was a turning point, Russell said on media day: 

"The game plan in Great Britain is just to be as fast as possible. I think I've got 100% confidence in myself but I'm still gaining confidence of how to get the car in the sweet spot. Last year, if you were to ask me ahead of a session how confident are you that the car is going to be in a good place and you're going to nail the lap, that confidence level was far higher because I understood the car and tyres much more than I do this year but it's improving every race I do. I think Austria, historically, was a tough track for me - it was a hot race and I had low grip. They're the sort of conditions I usually hate. My performance wasn't perfect, wasn't great, but it was substantially better than if that race was three or four races before. Really pleased with the progress I've made with my team to get the car set up in a better place".

Reliability problems in Canada and the revelation that his driving style doesn't quite align with the current car have caused Russell to lose ground to his team mate, but a podium in Barcelona-Catalunya and the strong result in Austria have given him a much-needed boost.

"The last two weeks I think have been a couple of weeks where I've learnt a huge amount from what I need of the car. This has been really great to sort of see what I need, how I need to change maybe my driving style, put it into practice and then win the race at the first time of trying this new approach was really great. To win was good, a good step forward and now I can feel to build from there".

Russell’s next opportunity comes at his home race at Silverstone, a track where he is yet to win, but the Briton insisted he wanted to treat it like any other weekend and avoid the added stress of performing well in front of a home crowd. He said: 

"For sure I want to tick the box but I'm not allowing it to give me any more pressure or be any more relaxed. There's so many fans that give you a lot of energy and excitement through the weekend but when the helmet is on, it's business as usual. This was my first F1 race when I was 10 years old so it's always really special to come here".

Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar have given their verdicts on how they think Red Bull will perform this weekend in the British Grand Prix after a recent upturn in form. Red Bull brought a substantial upgrade package to their home race in Austria last weekend, with the improved RB22 allowing Verstappen to challenge for victory on Sunday and split Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. With Silverstone this weekend offering a different challenge, due to its high speed nature and flowing corners, Verstappen was unsure whether to expect the same performance - while upgrades introduced by rival teams could be a crucial factor.

"We have made good progress but it's like that the whole season so far. One team bringing quite a big upgrade, they jump ahead, then another team comes they go forward again. Just need to be aware that can happen again with other teams. We just keep focusing on our own package, try to optimise that further and see if we can have more results like that Austria".

Although Red Bull's best result of the season came on a track featuring long straights, Silverstone's long, flat-out sections with only minimal braking zones mean that teams and drivers will be unable to harvest energy as easily. Verstappen believes that Red Bull's package is currently lacking in all areas, especially compared with Mercedes, and that it needs to improve all aspects to close the gap.

"You need a strong engine but you also need good battery power. At the end of the day it's two different things. I think our car is not really one area where we are lacking, it's just sometimes you lack in the low speed, the high speed. Probably sometimes a bit of a balance thing as well with setup, but again here everything will feel so different because of a lack of energy that you can use".

With the British Grand Prix being a Sprint weekend, teams and drivers will be limited to only one hour of Free Practice ahead of Sprint Qualifying on Friday afternoon. Hadjar believes it could pose teams problems in order to find the perfect set-up and performance. 

"It's going to be challenging with deployment tactics on a track like this. Considering we only have one session to adapt, its going to be... we need to be ready for it sometimes to be frustrating and to have back-up plans, let's say, to bounce back. I'm confident we have the package to fight, it should be a bit cooler than the Red Bull Ring and that should help our car".

Oscar Piastri has given his take on the speculation around Max Verstappen’s management team engaging in talks with McLaren, with the Australian stating that he has received multiple reassurances that the team are very happy with me. As silly season continues to ramp up, the rumour of Verstappen and Piastri swapping seats reared its head once again in Austria, where the weekend kicked off with reports of discussions between the Dutchman’s side and the reigning World Champions. Asked during media day how he has been affected by the recent talk, Piastri said:

"It doesn't really mean much to me. I think Max doesn't need to be spoken about much in terms of his talent. I've got a contract in place, multiple reassurances that the team are very happy with me and I'm very happy with the team. For me, I'm very happy where I am and very happy with the situation I'm in. Just trying to continue the success that we've had in the last few years".

Like his team mate Lando Norris - who was also questioned on the rumours ahead of the British Grand Prix - Piastri is on a multi-year deal that he intends to see out, having first signed with McLaren as a rookie in 2023. He enjoyed the strongest campaign of his career so far last season, when he finished third in the standings and missed out on the Drivers’ Championship by 13 points to Norris. The pair have delivered McLaren’s most successful years as a team since the 1990s, leading both CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella to publicly back their current line-up. They’ve been surpassed by teams like Mercedes, Ferrari, and - at times - Red Bull under the new regulations but are still in the mix as one of the frontrunners, leaving Piastri to set out his expectations for this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

"Difficult to know. I think everyone is a little up and down at the moment apart from Mercedes, they are the constant challenge at the very front. Austria was hard to read for us. Qualifying we thought we would be stronger, in the race maybe we thought we'd be a bit worse. Ferrari we thought would be a lot stronger on Sunday than they were. Max was a lot quicker than we thought. It's changing a lot at the moment from track to track with upgrades. I think we should be somewhere near the front, where exactly I don't know but we're still missing that final step to really challenge for wins and as long as we put our best foot forward, I think we're in the running for hopefully podiums".

Lando Norris has reacted to recent reports that Max Verstappen’s management held informal discussions to explore opportunities at McLaren, with the Briton believing that it shows how appealing his team have become. The question of where drivers will be on the grid for next season ramped up at the Austrian Grand Prix, with speculation continuing to home in on the Dutchman following his links with a move to Mercedes last year. This time around, Verstappen was linked to a McLaren switch with sources saying the four-time World Champion's team had an informal chat with CEO Zak Brown, despite the 28-year-old having a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028. Since securing his four Drivers’ Championships with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, Verstappen's future has continued to be a talking point especially as Red Bull haven’t yet produced a race-winning car this season. Asked about those reports ahead of the British Grand Prix, current McLaren driver Norris said: 

"To be honest, a lot of drivers want to come to McLaren, so I don’t know why you just highlight Max! There are quite a few others that I know who want to come as well. It’s a cool thing. It’s a good thing that a four-time World Champion wants to come on board and wants to potentially join the team - I don’t know how much of it’s true. It’s a cool thing, and if there’s an opportunity for me to drive with other people, that’s something I’ve always looked forward to, but it’s not a thing for now. It’s not a serious thing. I’m also just excited for my future with McLaren - I’m still going to be here for many more years. I’m excited for whoever I get partnered with, but for the time being, Oscar [Piastri] and I are working very well together and we’re excited to work together for more years too. That’s our focus for now".

Norris and Piastri, who are in their fourth season as team mates, are committed to multi-year deals with the papaya squad. Nevertheless, there were rumours earlier in the year that the Australian could be part of a direct switch with Verstappen and sign with Red Bull - an idea which Team Principal Andrea Stella rejected before stating that McLaren is in its strongest shape with their current line-up. The pair were instrumental in the team claiming back-to-back Constructors’ Championships in 2024 and 2025, ending a 26-year drought, but Norris was still open to the prospect of facing the challenge of driving alongside Verstappen - whose long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is set to join McLaren in 2028.

"I do believe I can beat any driver. I think what makes Max so incredible is how he is over the course of a season, every single weekend performing to the level that he does is what’s impressive. I think a lot of drivers on the grid can go out and get a pole and can put in incredible laps. What makes people great and elite is performing at that level, but in every practice, every Qualifying, every race. I think that’s something Max is able to do probably better than almost everyone. I believe whether it’s him, or having a chance to go against Lewis or Fernando - any of the drivers that people know are some of the best - I think it’s a cool opportunity for me at the same time. Excited for whatever may come my way in the future".

With only one hour of practice on offer before Sprint Qualifying later on Friday, most of the teams and drivers are eager to maximise track time as the session begins at 12:30 p.m. local time, with Hamilton leading the queue at the end of the pit lane. The home hero - who is targeting a groundbreaking 10th victory at Silverstone this weekend - emerges on hard tyres and sets the opening benchmark of 1m 34.696s, which is quickly displaced by last season’s podium sitter Nico Hulkenberg. There is no time to waste as the majority get a lap on the board in the first five minutes, with Mercedes looking once again like the team to beat as George Russell edges out his teammate for the top spot. However, improvements come thick and fast, especially for Hamilton as he takes his Ferrari over six tenths clear of Russell before Oscar Piastri leaps into P1, sporting a one-off livery inspired by the car Bruce McLaren first drove in 1966. Others are keen to get in the mix, including Red Bull - the momentum they built at the Austrian Grand Prix seems to give them an initial boost at Silverstone, with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar exchanging the fastest laps of the session. Further down the order, Lando Norris looks like he is having a tough time with his MCL40 as he has one lap time deleted for exceeding track limits and is forced to abort his next attempt, returning to the garage after running in P8. Someone who manages to find a fix for his troubles is Antonelli, who shakes off his early complaints around energy deployment to go fastest with a time of 1m 30.777s, eking out an advantage of 0.192s over Hadjar. With the opening laps complete, Fernando Alonso becomes the first to switch his focus to qualifying simulation and improves to P18 on soft tyres, while others are still ticking through their hard compound run plans. Piastri suffers the consequences of pushing too much as he loses the rear of the car at Becketts, spinning onto the large run-off area and only just avoiding the barriers, with the Australian reporting that his tyres are dead. Contrastingly, Hamilton is enjoying a much smoother drive to post a time of 1m 30.521s and reclaim P1 by 0.256s from Antonelli, demonstrating how much he loves his home circuit. His hold on the lead is soon thrown into jeopardy as everyone bolts on the medium and soft tyres for the final 12 minutes. Although they try to take advantage of the significantly higher grip, Hamilton goes even faster to end FP1 in first place ahead of Antonelli, Leclerc, Russell and Piastri. Verstappen just misses out on the top five as he leads Norris and Hadjar, with Nico Hulkenberg and Liam Lawson taking the honour of ‘best of the rest’ in P9 and P10 respectively.

With just a single, one-hour practice session under their belts, drivers and teams head out into the relative unknown for the opening 12-minute segment of SQ1, with all 22 drivers required to use a set of medium Pirelli tyres. The circuit length - standing at 3.661 miles - and short session duration mean drivers are effectively limited to two hot laps, with Hadjar the quickest after the opening salvos, the Frenchman's 1m 29.470s leaving him clear of Hamilton, Piastri, Leclerc, Antonelli, and Verstappen. Russell is left only P9 while, in the drop zone, the Haas and Cadillac drivers occupy the lower placings, as do the Aston Martin duo who have yet to set a time approaching the final few minutes. Hamilton moves back to the top with a 1m 29.273s, leaving him one-tenth clear of Leclerc as the majority of Ferrari's rivals decide against going for a second flying effort. A scrappy lap moves Russell only as high as P5 behind Hamilton, Leclerc, Hadjar, and Piastri, with Verstappen completing the top six having also decided on a second attempt. Antonelli, Lawson, Hulkenberg, and Norris complete the top 10, while Bortoleto, Gasly, Lindblad, Albon, Colapinto, and Sainz progress to SQ2. The Williams duo had briefly fallen into the drop zone after an improvement by Bearman, but the Haas driver is the first man to be eliminated along with Ocon, Perez, Bottas, Alonso, and Stroll, who is 3.7s off the pace of Hamilton. Hamilton continues his strong performance in the 10-minute SQ2 segment, the Briton's 1m 28.747s quickest after the first runs from Antonelli and Leclerc, with the top three order remaining unchanged at the chequered flag. Piastri heads Verstappen and Hadjar, with Team Principal Zak Brown confirming Norris is carrying minor damage from SQ1, which leaves the reigning World Champion in P7 but still ahead of Russell, the Mercedes driver struggling for performance. The top 10 is completed initially by the two Audi drivers, although both Racing Bulls and Alpine drivers opt to only do one run with the Pirelli medium tyre in the closing minutes. 

Lawson jumps to P4 and team mate Lindblad to P8, pushing Russell onto the cusp of elimination with less than 90 seconds remaining. Russell improves with his second run, climbing up to P7, but still half a second behind Hamilton. The Mercedes driver slots between both Red Bulls, as the top 10 is completed by Lindblad and Norris. Gasly misses out by less than one-tenth, followed by Bortoleto, Hulkenberg, Colapinto, and the Williams pair of Sainz and Albon. With drivers moving onto the soft Pirelli tyre, the final 10-minute SQ3 segment effectively becomes a one-lap shootout, with Piastri and then Norris the first to set leading runs as the clock reaches zero. They are both quickly beaten by Antonelli's 1m 28.387s, before Hamilton delights the home fans by going 0.011s quicker to take top spot for Saturday's 17-lap Sprint Race. They are followed by Verstappen and Leclerc, with Russell managing to move his way up to P5 but more than three tenths in arrears. Norris heads Piastri as the McLaren pair find themselves in P6 and P7, while the top-10 is completed by Hadjar, Lawson, and Lindblad. Lewis Hamilton has admitted that racing at his home circuit still feels like a dream, after the Ferrari driver secured pole position for the Silverstone Sprint by narrowly beating Kimi Antonelli. The Briton had already showcased his strong pace, having topped the times in the weekend’s sole practice session, and he continued to be in the mix throughout Sprint Qualifying. In spite of Antonelli’s consistently rapid laps, Hamilton topped every segment of the session and resisted the pressure of the one-lap shootout in SQ3 to post a time of 1m 28.376s, just 0.011s clear of the Italian’s final effort. Reflecting on his feelings soon after, he said:

"I love this place, I love this crowd, and I can’t express to you how big a dream it is, still to this day, when you’re building up to this race and you think about every corner and kind of the flow that you can get into at this track if you get the set-up right and if you’ve got the right team behind you. The car’s felt really great today, thanks to everyone back at the factory, just continuing to push. We brought tiny little bits here - every single weekend we’re showing up with something, and everyone’s pushed to the max, so I’m really grateful to get that pole. I was quick through all the session, but still it was only 10 milliseconds or something like that, so it’s very close to these guys and the team really deserves it. A big, big thank you to everyone here".

Hamilton already has a remarkable record at the British Grand Prix with nine victories to his name, but he revealed that he wasn’t fully convinced about Ferrari being the fastest team at the circuit this season. While they have taken a step forward with their recent upgrades, there were concerns that the long straights wouldn’t favour their car and they would lose out to the Silver Arrows and Red Bull when it came to engine performance. Hamilton’s lap proved that their short-run pace is undoubtedly there, with the Briton stating that the energy of his home crowd added at least a couple of tenths to his final lap time. He also conceded that it could be difficult to keep their rivals behind them over a longer distance, but he feels more than ready for the challenge.

"Look, we’re ahead of Mercedes - these guys, and the Red Bulls, they have so much power. They’ve been doing amazing all year, the boys in blue this weekend, but my team just won’t let up. They keep pushing, and that’s what I’m so proud of. It won’t always be like this. We didn’t expect coming to Silverstone that we’d be competing for the front row, we really, really didn’t, so this is an amazing surprise. I’m ecstatic. We did a short sort of longish run in FP1 - there was not a lot of time, but the car felt good there so I think we should have a good race tomorrow. Starting from the front row, I don’t remember the last time I started from the front row here. Not so easy when you’ve got these guys that can follow you and be close with the extra power potentially, but I’ll do my best to keep them behind".

George Russell has conceded that he needs to understand his strange lack of pace during Sprint Qualifying at the British Grand Prix, with the Mercedes driver also left very surprised by the performance of Ferrari during the session. Russell had not looked quite as comfortable at the wheel of the W17 as Kimi Antonelli in Friday’s sole practice hour earlier on, setting a time some four tenths off his team mate’s effort - but it was Lewis Hamilton who ultimately went quickest ahead of the Italian. This again proved to be the case in Sprint Qualifying, with Hamilton beating Antonelli to pole while the other Scuderia car of Charles Leclerc claimed fourth place. Max Verstappen took third in the Red Bull, while Russell had to settle for P5 - his time again just under four tenths away from Hamilton’s. Speaking after the session, Russell said of his day on track at Silverstone: 

"It’s kind of the story of the year, to be honest - always on the back foot. Usually come Q3 I can generally make a step, but today was not quite the case. It was very close to P3 but it’s still very much off the pace of Lewis and Kimi, so I need to try and understand why that is. It’s a bit strange".

Pushed on whether he had felt from the start of Friday’s running that the car was not quite where he wanted it to be, the Briton answered: 

"I think it’s feeling quite good out there, to be honest. It’s not feeling too bad. I think we were all expecting it to feel a bit worse, just in terms of driving these cars here, but it actually felt quite okay and the high-speed felt fast. But as I said, relative lap time is just not really there, so we need to understand tomorrow for the more important day".

Russell went on to admit that he was very surprised by the pace of Ferrari, the Italian team having faced a tougher weekend last time out in Austria.

"They’ve been on the back foot with the PU and energy management, and here they look the best at the moment so that’s been a real surprise. We’ve always known they’ve had a great chassis, but I think some things aren’t quite making sense. If I were to have predicted, I would have said Ferrari quick last week and us to be quick this week - obviously Kimi did a great job, but still Ferrari have had the upper hand all day".

Kimi Antonelli believes Ferrari have done an incredible step forward, as the Mercedes driver just missed out on pole position in Sprint Qualifying to Lewis Hamilton ahead of the British Grand Prix. The Italian teenager, who leads the Drivers' standings by 40 points from Mercedes team mate George Russell, missed out on top spot on Friday by just 0.011s. Hamilton had set the pace throughout Friday, going quickest in the single one-hour Free Practice session, before going fastest in all three segments of Sprint Qualifying. It continues a strong run of form for the seven-time World Champion, which includes a win in Barcelona and a further three podiums, with Antonelli wary of the threat Hamilton poses in Saturday's 17-lap Sprint Race.

"Ferrari have done an incredible step forward, so definitely is going to be very tough. Plus Lewis is in great form. But that's good, we like the challenge and we try to make the best out of it. Of course, we'll go for it and try to do our best. It's not going to be easy but everything is on the table to do well so we'll make sure that we do well".

Antonelli was left only P7 in the opening segment of Sprint Qualifying, admitting that his car needed a readjustment between sessions in order to make him more comfortable. Russell had also struggled during the session, failing to challenge the leading times and eventually finishing fifth quickest but more than three tenths adrift of Hamilton's benchmark.

"To be fair, SQ1 I felt a bit bad, I didn't feel great in the car but then we made a slight balance adjustment and SQ2 felt night and day. We were suddenly back on the pace and SQ3 was a little bit left on the table but was a decent lap and unfortunately was super close to Lewis but of course congrats to him. On our side, we'll focus on tomorrow".

Charles Leclerc believes he has got to work on everything as he was left in fourth while Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton claimed Sprint pole at Silverstone. The Monegasque driver has endured a difficult run of form over the last few Formula 1 weekends, having not reached the podium since the Japanese Grand Prix back in March. In contrast, Hamilton took his first win for Ferrari in Barcelona and two further podiums since then, with the seven-time World Champion delighting his home fans by finishing fastest during Friday's Sprint Qualifying. Leclerc admits that the result surprised himself and Ferrari, with the Scuderia Ferrari having struggled last time out in Austria as neither Hamilton or Leclerc challenged for a rostrum finish.

"We are extremely surprised I think with Lewis taking the pole today, but in general we were expecting just a much bigger gap to the cars in front. It's a good step forward. I think as a team we are very, very surprised to be that competitive on a track like this".

Hamilton had set the pace throughout Friday, going quickest in the sole, one-hour practice session and all three segments of Sprint Qualifying. Leclerc had also looked strong early in proceedings, finishing P2 and P3 across the opening two sessions, before dropping to P4 and nearly four tenths adrift of Hamilton in the final order.

"It's been quite a bit that I realise I didn't have the ease that I had with last year's car and even when I push, whenever I put things together, we speak about hundredths and Lewis is more often at 100% of the potential of the car, which I'm not. I've got to work on everything really, but I think most importantly, it's just the feeling with this car. When you don't get quite the feeling then it's difficult to extract the lap time and to have the confidence of every Saturday going into Qualifying, in this case it's a Friday, and get to the limit of the car. I'm struggling just to be consistent, to be at my 100%. SQ1 and SQ2 I was close to it, I was quite confident for SQ3, but I lost the car. I just don't feel the car as well as I should".

Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has responded to comments made by Toto Wolff after the Mercedes boss suggested the Scuderia must be running out of cost cap soon thanks to a stream of upgrades. Wolff's comments came after the previous round in Austria, where Ferrari had once again arrived with upgrades, which included an update of its power unit. The Italian team were unable to make the most of its new package though, failing to reach the podium with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finishing fifth and eighth respectively. Following the Grand Prix, Wolff told: 

"Ferrari have been throwing things at their car massively, I guess they will be running out of cost cap soon, because we couldn’t do it, because we simply haven’t got the margin financially. Let’s see where that leads them".

Asked about his thoughts on Wolff's comments, and how hard it was to balance bringing upgrades against the budget cap, Vassuer said: 

"You are referring to the comments of Toto? I found it quite ironic from Toto, coming from Toto and Mercedes. When Red Bull is developing or when Mercedes is developing, they are genius, when we are developing we are cheating. I think you have to calm down with this, that we didn't bring more parts than Red Bull or another team. I don't know if it was a joke".

Hamilton's victory in Barcelona - the seven-time World Champion's first for Ferrari - remains the only non-Mercedes win this season during a Grand Prix, and the Scuderia continue to be the German manufacturer's closest challengers heading to Silverstone. Hamilton was also fastest in the sole, one-hour practice session on Friday before Sprint Qualifying, suggesting he and Ferrari will remain a thorn in Mercedes' side this weekend. While Vasseur added that I think it was better to avoid to speak when asked if he had talked to Wolff about his comments, the Ferrari boss suggested it was the best practice to bring upgrades as early as possible during the season.

"I think the more performance you can bring at the beginning, that we are all in the same boat. If we can bring something at the beginning we do it, and it's better to have a couple of tenths for five races than just a couple of tenths for the last two. Sometimes it's difficult to find performance. Sometimes you can have the feeling you're bringing a big upgrade but it is just the modification of some parts".

Max Verstappen believes that his P3 result in Sprint Qualifying at the British Grand Prix could easily have been P6 or P7 given the fine margins at play, with the Dutchman conceding that Red Bull still have a few things to figure out. Having ended the weekend’s sole practice hour in P6 earlier on Friday - nearly one second off the pace of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton at the top - Verstappen looked to have closed the gap slightly in Sprint Qualifying later on, ending the session as the closest driver to Hamilton and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli albeit with a deficit of just over three tenths. Asked afterwards if he was happy to have made the top three - given where he had looked to be in FP1 - Verstappen answered: “I think so, yeah. I mean, for us, the outcome of SQ3 was very close.

"It could easily have been P3 or whatever, P6 or P7. But we were on the good side, so we were a bit closer. I think we’re still not where we want to be - cornering, maybe a tiny bit, but also deployment and stuff, so a few things to figure out to try and find more lap time. But yeah, we’ll try to do that, of course, after the Sprint".

Quizzed on whether the RB22 felt much better during Sprint Qualifying, the four-time World Champion said: 

"A little bit better, yeah. Still not where I want it to be. I guess it’s also just a combination of how the layout is now with some limitations on the straight, and just getting the balance in the right window".

Despite being the nearest to Hamilton and Antonelli on the grid for Saturday’s Sprint, Verstappen played down his chances of being able to take the fight to the leading duo, whose respective team mates Charles Leclerc and George Russell will line up in fourth and fifth.

"They look a bit quick. And I mean, they look quick so normally, team mate related, they should be quick also in race pace if everything calms down a little bit. So for me, I think it will be more of a battle with the guys behind me".

On the other side of the Red Bull garage, Isack Hadjar wound up in P8 and could not hide his frustration at the outcome of his session.

"I’m eighth, the final guy of the top four team’s cars, so it’s a bit disappointing. I’m missing out on third because I was just not quick enough on that final lap. Max was able to do it, so I really want to look at what went wrong in the lap. I know I didn’t have the best start of it, like launching it, so I know that cost me a bit of time but, yeah".

When it was put to him that the margins were very fine - with a little over a tenth covering the cars from third to eighth, meaning that he was not dramatically off his team mate - Hadjar conceded: 

"That’s why it’s a bit more frustrating, because I know if I tidy up one or two things, then we can get there, but I’m happy about my driving today. I think I’ve been on it since Lap 1, so that’s good and hopefully tomorrow we find a bit more time".

Lando Norris has revealed how damage sustained during Sprint Qualifying at the British Grand Prix resulted in his car feeling pretty shocking to drive, with the Briton ultimately settling for P6. Free Practice exposed the gap between McLaren and their rivals earlier in the day, as Oscar Piastri wound up over eight tenths adrift of Lewis Hamilton’s benchmark while Norris was marginally further behind, leaving them with just a few hours to make changes for the next session. Any improvements were cancelled out when the Briton’s car shed debris in SQ2, which was part of his broken front brake duct that the team rushed to fix before the top-10 shootout. They managed to replace it in time for Norris to head out on track with the remaining drivers in the final few minutes. Asked if the damage had hampered his performance, Norris said: 

"Yeah, actually a lot more than I thought because it was only on the final run that we managed to fix it. The guys did a good job on fixing it for the final run, but the car was just completely different and way better. It felt pretty shocking for most of it. Just lucky that we managed to fix it because it felt like a completely different car, but by the time I got the feeling for the final lap, I felt like I could’ve just pushed way more. Just unfortunate today but I think the pace was still there or thereabouts".

Behind polesitter Hamilton and second-placed Kimi Antonelli - who were separated by just 0.011s - several drivers were remarkably close in Sprint Qualifying, with P3 to P7 covered by just 0.075s. The small margins over one lap look encouraging at first, but Norris was acutely aware that he will line up alongside Mercedes’ George Russell, who qualified fifth after struggling to match his team mate.

"I think maybe the Red Bull we can potentially compete against, but the Mercedes of George is clearly just a lot quicker. To fight a much quicker car like that is going to be difficult but you never know. I felt happier at the end - I just need to understand a few things and see what we can improve into tomorrow. For Lewis to be on pole for tomorrow is a cool thing for all the fans. Again, still a cool thing even for me to see. Unfortunately we don’t have the pace to compete against them but it’s always just nice to see the fans, see the yellow, see my grandstand. Hopefully we can have a better day for them tomorrow".

After shooting to the top of the times as the first runner in SQ3, the second McLaren of Piastri dropped down to P7 and was similarly left searching for pace ahead of Sprint Race. Prompted on whether the result reflected their spot in the pecking order, the Australian said: 

"Yeah, more or less. I think after practice we looked pretty slow so it’s about where we thought we’d be - I think, to be honest, probably closer to that next pack behind Kimi and Lewis. A tricky day but we’ll try and improve for tomorrow. The car improved a bit, definitely, but not as much as we need unfortunately. I felt like I’ve really been on it today - we’ve just not had the pace. Bit of a shame but we’ll try again tomorrow".

With only one hour of practice taking place on Friday at Silverstone, there are still plenty of unknowns when the drivers and teams enter Sprint Qualifying later on - with some, including Russell, subsequently surprised by the pace of Ferrari as Hamilton seals Sprint Race pole in front of his local fans. The Briton faces close competition from Antonelli, however, who joins him on the front row after setting a time that is just 0.011s adrift of the seven-time World Champion’s. Verstappen is a further three tenths back in third, ahead of Leclerc, Russell and the two McLarens. It is confirmed in the build-up to Saturday’s event that Williams has changed the set-up of the suspension on Albon’s car under parc ferme conditions and without the approval of the Technical Delegate, meaning that the Thai driver starts the 100km dash from the pit lane. Meanwhile, the other 21 cars line up on the grid in preparation for the fourth Sprint of the season, with conditions looking set to be dry and mostly sunny. It is confirmed when the tyre blankets are removed that most of the field has bolted on the medium compound for the 17-lap encounter - the exceptions being Bottas, Alonso and Stroll on the soft rubber. Once the formation lap is completed and the lights go out, Hamilton squeezes Antonelli to the inside as he successfully holds onto P1, while behind them Verstappen drops backwards and the McLarens enjoy a strong launch to move ahead. Later in the lap, Norris finds a way past Antonelli into second, only for the Italian to retake the position. Russell then brings himself into the fight, the Briton passing Norris for third - before the McLaren returns to P3, while Verstappen subsequently overtakes Russell to climb up to fourth in a frantic opening few laps. While the yellow flags are briefly thrown following a spin for Alonso towards the rear of the pack - the Aston Martin having been tagged by Perez, with the Cadillac consequently pitting for a new nosecone - it is still all go at the front, with Leclerc snatching P6 from Piastri as the fourth tour ticks down. By Lap 5, Hamilton leads by 0.5s from Antonelli ahead of Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Piastri and Lawson, the Racing Bulls driver running in the last points-paying position with Hadjar having dropped back to 12th. 

Antonelli continues to keep the pressure on Hamilton, who has just one Sprint win to his name so far at last year’s Chinese Grand Prix. The Italian appears glued to his rival - and after looking to make a move several times on Lap 8, the Mercedes driver uses Boost to surge past on the Hangar Straight. Meanwhile, the stewards confirm that Perez receives a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Alonso, while Verstappen is being chased down by Russell - who then moves up into P4 at Stowe on Lap 10. Verstappen does not give up, though, and has another look at Russell before running out of room, allowing Leclerc to close in on the Red Bull in the process. The Monegasque soon makes his move, dropping Verstappen down to sixth place. All of this gives Russell a little more clear air in fourth - as is the case for Norris, the McLaren driver running in a somewhat lonely P3. It is clear that the picture is far from settled, however, with Leclerc soon chasing after Russell while Hamilton sets the fastest lap on the 12th tour. The stewards announce that Hulkenberg - running in P13 - is investigated after the Sprint for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, while Hadjar is busy trying to catch Lawson for eighth place. A late defensive move from Lawson sparks the ire of the Frenchman, who remains within half a second as the final lap ticks down. It is subsequently confirmed that the Racing Bulls driver is investigated after the Sprint for moving under braking. There are no such troubles up at the front for Antonelli, however, who crosses the line to seal victory in the Sprint while Hamilton follows in second, some 2.745s behind the Mercedes. Norris adds to McLaren’s tally in third, though the Briton is only 0.856s ahead of Russell at the line. Leclerc claims fifth place, while the final points on offer go to Verstappen, Piastri and Lawson. The latter, however, faces that aforementioned stewards’ investigation after the event, where he just finishes ahead of Hadjar. Kimi Antonelli has shared an insight into the moment where he knew he could get into the lead in the Sprint Race at the British Grand Prix, with the Italian admitting that he used everything I had to push on ahead of Lewis Hamilton. After lining up in P2 on the grid, Antonelli was squeezed by Hamilton into the first corner and even found himself slipping back to third at one stage on the opening lap, having been overtaken by McLaren’s Lando Norris before soon retaking the position.

The Mercedes driver then set about chasing after Hamilton as the laps ticked down, keeping the pressure on until he saw his chance to make a move on Lap 8. Utilising the Boost function, Antonelli eventually surged ahead of the Ferrari at Stowe and from there onwards was untroubled at the front, going on to seal his first Sprint win. Reflecting back on the 100km dash afterwards, the 19-year-old said of his battle with Hamilton: 

"It was a very fun first 10 laps with Lewis. We were both pushing very hard. Once I got into Overtake mode, I knew my chance was coming. Out of Turn 4, I got very close alongside into Brooklands, but he used the Boost, so I decided to wait. Then, going into Stowe, I used everything I had and was able to overtake. From that point on, I just got into my rhythm, tried to stay out of his Overtake range, and bring the car home".

Antonelli’s latest triumph means that his points tally now stands at 179, having stretched out his lead in the championship standings over team mate George Russell to 43 points. However, the youngster remains wary of the threat posed by his rivals.

"The momentum is definitely there, and we’re doing a great job together with the team. But we can’t let our guard down because Lewis and Ferrari are doing an incredible job. Red Bull and McLaren are coming, and George is also super quick. We just need to keep raising the bar and continue delivering strong performances".

Lewis Hamilton insisted he gave absolutely everything after he was unable to hold off Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in the Sprint at Silverstone. The Ferrari driver had started from pole position after a last gasp lap in Sprint Qualifying saw him set a time just 0.011s clear of the young Italian’s effort. As Saturday's Sprint got underway Hamilton managed to keep Antonelli at bay for some time but was soon overtaken on Lap 8 by the current championship leader - who eventually crossed the line 2.745s ahead to take his maiden Sprint victory. Reflecting on how his Sprint panned out after jumping out of the cockpit, Hamilton explained:

"I said yesterday, that could be difficult. With the strong headwind down the back straight today, Kimi came flying past. I was pushing as hard as I could and gave it absolutely everything. Well done to Kimi. We’ve got work to do to close that gap".

As Antonelli extended his championship lead with his triumph in the Sprint, Hamilton further explained how the energy management played a significant role in his race on Saturday. 

"Mercedes were particularly quick up to Turn 6, so sometimes I had to use the Boost there. One of the biggest areas was coming out of Stowe, Turn 15, where you get all the power. That’s where he was catching me massively. Once he got into Overtake mode, I couldn’t hold him back because he had extra deployment throughout the lap. I couldn’t keep him outside the one-second gap anymore and, once that was gone, I knew he was coming".

However, despite missing out on another victory in front of his home crowd - Hamilton's nine British Grand Prix wins at Silverstone is a record at a single circuit - the Ferrari man seemed pleased with his P2 result.

"It’s never fun to go back, but great day yesterday. We were right in the fight, which I was really not expecting this weekend. So, with that, I’m really, really happy, and I’m really happy with the effort the team is making to try and close that gap. We’re slowly getting closer, but just not quite there yet".

On the other side of the Ferrari garage, team mate Charles Leclerc finished the Sprint in fifth after a slow start saw him drop places.

"It was a very poor start in general. I mean, it’s quite rare this year to have poor starts, but this one was very bad. After that, the car felt quite okay. I mean, there are still things that I’m not super comfortable with, but I’m making a lot of progress that unfortunately isn’t very visible yet because it’s small steps after small steps".

However, the Monegasque was hopeful that things could improve for Saturday's Qualifying and Sunday's Grand Prix.

"I feel like I saw a few things that I’ll be able to change for Qualifying, and they seem to be going in the right direction. If they do work in Qualifying, I’m optimistic it’s something I can carry over to other tracks because it’s a bit of a philosophical change to the car, trying to make it suit my driving style a little better".

George Russell felt that his end result in the Sprint at the British Grand Prix was not ideal, with the Briton stating that P3 - rather than P4 - is probably where I should have finished. Russell started the event from fifth place on the grid, having struggled to match the pace of Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli - who started from P2 - during Friday’s Sprint Qualifying. The 28-year-old made a good launch when Saturday’s event got underway and overtook both McLarens in the early stages, moving himself up to third. However, he later slipped backwards when Lando Norris retook P3 before Red Bull’s Max Verstappen also moved ahead to P4. As the 100 km dash progressed, Russell chased down Verstappen and got past the Dutchman to return to fourth - and while he tried to catch Norris for third towards the end, the Silver Arrows driver crossed the line just under one second away at the line. Asked after the Sprint if he was disappointed at how it all unfolded - particularly given that he was running in P3 on the first lap - Russell responded: 

"Yeah, Lap 1 was great and I did two great overtakes in two corners, then I got a bit left vulnerable. On the next straights I got overtaken by the McLarens, so I need to understand how I managed to pull the moves off but then how I lost positions again anyway. P3 is probably where I should have finished - I finished in P4, one point less. Not ideal, but main focus is on Quali now".

Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord spoke positively about Russell’s progression, however, when reflecting back on the Sprint Race.

"It’s always better to finish higher up than you started - he went from P5 to P4. It looked like he had the pace to catch Lando as well - he was closing in on him pretty quick at the end, so that suggests that the deg is good on both cars which is good for tomorrow. But it’s also, when you get stuck in battles at the start of the race, with these rules - and on these circuits where the energy management is so difficult - and it goes back and forth and you find yourself leapfrogged by three cars somehow, and then you work your way back. He stayed calm with that as well and just worked at it methodically, so clearly was the quicker of the cars. Could’ve got Lando, but hopefully we can start from a better place tomorrow and then go forward from there".

Lando Norris admitted he was surprised but very happy with his Sprint third place at Silverstone considering he didn't believe the McLaren car was faster than Mercedes or Ferrari. Norris finished behind Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton in Saturday's 100 km dash after starting sixth on the grid - with a strong launch at the start seeing him surge through the field. Speaking afterwards, the reigning World Champion explained how pleased he was with how the Sprint was managed.

"I think at the minute anywhere in the top five is good, because to finish ahead of any Mercedes or Ferrari is not what we should be doing at the minute because we’re not as quick as them. Any time we finish in the top four, it means we’ve just done a very good job".

The McLaren driver had an eventful journey on his way to third, fighting off fellow Briton George Russell at one stage while he also briefly got ahead of Antonelli on the opening lap to run second. However, Norris admitted he made the call that fighting the Italian wasn't his main focus at the time.

"My first lap and my start was very, very strong and this gave me all the positions basically. I had a chance on Kimi, obviously I got ahead. I just used my battery to get ahead, and then he just came straight back past. I didn’t try and fight it at all, I just let him do his thing because I knew he was going to be a lot quicker and it would have been a waste of my time".

With Norris triumphing at his home Grand Prix 12 months ago, he conceded that the situation was different this time around with improvements still to be found ahead of Qualifying and Sunday's main event.

"There were still a couple of little things we can certainly do better later and into tomorrow. But it was a good race and good points. I gave it everything I could".

Meanwhile, Norris' McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri finished the Sprint down in seventh - almost eight seconds behind Norris - and acknowledged that progress had to be made across the rest of the weekend.

"I mean the first lap was good, just chaotic for everyone, I think. Yeah, from that point onwards I got into a decent spot, and then fell back again, and the pace in following was just not great".

Just hours on from an eventful Sprint at Silverstone, the drivers and teams prepare to switch their attentions to Qualifying, which decides the starting order for Sunday’s British Grand Prix. As 18 minutes go on the clock for the opening Q1 segment, a queue of cars quickly emerges onto the track from the pit lane, the majority running the soft tyres while the Audis opt to start with the medium compound.

"It’s very, very gusty on the start-finish line".

Bortoleto reports during the opening runs - just as Sainz experiences a lock-up in the windy conditions. Meanwhile the Ferrari pair are the first of the frontrunners to set their times, with Leclerc and Hamilton slotting into P1 and P2 respectively. The yellow flags are thrown with just over 10 minutes to spare after Russell goes off track at Luffield, the Briton having locked up before slowly running into the gravel trap and tapping the barriers with his front wing. While he is able to get going again and limp back to the pits, questions remain over how much damage the W17 might have picked up in the incident. Meanwhile, with most of the pack having set a time, Leclerc remains on top with a lap of 1m 29.534s ahead of Hamilton and Antonelli - but those at risk are Bottas, Lawson, Alonso, Stroll, Russell and Bortoleto, with Russell having not put a lap on the board before his off-track excursion while Bortoleto is also without a time. Lawson soon escapes the danger zone by surging up into fifth, while at Mercedes a quick front wing change is carried out on Russell’s car, allowing the Briton to return to the track. He then manages to climb up to P5, which then becomes P6 after Lindblad moves into fourth. While Gasly is noted for impeding, his team mate Colapinto sparks a brief yellow flag after going off at Becketts. Meanwhile Hadjar and Verstappen shoot up into P1 and P3 respectively for Red Bull - the former on an effort of 1m 29.276 – before Lawson again catches the eye by climbing to P2. With Colapinto pitting following his bumpy off-track moment, the Argentinian finds himself eliminated from the session in P19. Joining him in making an early exit are Ocon and Bottas ahead in 17th and 18th, along with Perez, Stroll and Alonso in 20th through to 22nd. Amid the confirmation that Gasly will be investigated after the session for impeding at Turn 15, the remaining 16 drivers prepare for another 15 minutes of action in Q2. Hadjar - the fastest man in Q1 - and Verstappen are the first to hit the track before the rest of the pack soon joins them, all sporting the soft tyres.

"This engine is not responding as normal".

Verstappen radios in. As the first times go on the board, Hadjar remains ahead of his team mate by 0.125s - but they are both soon pushed down by the Ferraris of Hamilton and Leclerc, Hamilton having dipped into the 1m 28s at the top with his effort of 1m 28.864s. Russell then slots into P2, his lap only 0.056s adrift after setting the fastest middle sector of all. Meanwhile Antonelli in the other Mercedes has his time deleted due to track limits, leaving him with plenty to do - but the Italian manages to move up to P3 on a 1m 29.043s. At the other end of the order, things do not look to be going well for McLaren, with Norris only just safe in P9 while Piastri has fallen into the danger zone in P11. The Australian is joined in the bottom six by Gasly, Bearman, Sainz, Albon and Hulkenberg, the latter also having had his effort deleted for exceeding track limits. As Russell hops out of his car in the garage after asking for a spare seat, the clock ticks down into the final minutes of Q2. Verstappen’s next effort, meanwhile, puts the Dutchman in P6, leaving him to state over the radio:

"What a disaster… Unbelievable".

Norris also remains in P9, putting the Briton at risk as those behind him try to better their efforts. While Antonelli goes quickest on a 1m 28.493s, all eyes are on the names in the danger zone to see if any can progress - but ultimately it is not to be, with Norris and Lawson in ninth and 10th able to breathe a sigh of relief as Bortoleto, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Bearman, Sainz and Albon exit. The Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull and Racing Bulls pairings return to action for Q3, ready to battle for their position in the top 10.

Piastri is the first to hit the track off the back of his tricky Q2, while Lindblad remains in the garage during the opening runs, the Briton seemingly opting for one flying lap towards the end of the session. As the first times go on the board, Hamilton initially puts himself in P1 - but Antonelli soon storms into the top spot on a lap of 1m 28.385s, while team mate Russell is only 0.96s adrift as he slots into second place. Hamilton and Leclerc are third and fourth, ahead of Hadjar, Verstappen, Piastri and Norris. Antonelli is first out on track for the second runs, leading the Italian to question why this is the case over the radio, while Lindblad is noted for an unsafe release after a close moment in the pits, an incident that will be investigated after the session. Leclerc makes gains to slot into P2 - his effort 0.175s behind Antonelli’s - while Hamilton places in third, albeit with a larger deficit of three tenths to the pole man. This drops Russell from second to fourth, with Hadjar in fifth ahead of Norris, Verstappen and Piastri, while Lindblad outpaces team mate Lawson to claim ninth. Kimi Antonelli has conceded that he was a bit stressed ahead of his pole-setting lap in Qualifying at the British Grand Prix, despite going on to secure his fifth P1 Sunday grid slot of the season. Having claimed provisional pole during the first laps of Q1, Antonelli had to keep his rivals at bay on the final runs - but the Italian appeared concerned when he was sent out on track first, leading him to question Race Engineer Pete Bonnington about why this was.

Despite his worries, the Mercedes driver went even quicker on his decisive effort with a lap of 1m 28.111s, a time that would prove unbeatable to his competitors. His nearest challenger was Charles Leclerc, who will line up in P2 on the grid ahead of Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton. Ask after the session about the lap - and about his concerned radio message ahead of that final run - Antonelli explain:

"I was a bit stressed because I never really like going first for the last run. But yeah, the last lap was very tidy, I have to be honest. It all came together. It was very tricky with the wind because it was very gusty and unpredictable. But yeah, we built our way through Qualifying, and to bring home pole is very satisfying".

The 19-year-old was also quizzed on whether the team had made many alterations to the car in the gap between the Sprint and Qualifying.

"No, we didn’t change the car at all. It was just about the differential, brake migration, and driving. We worked around it and managed to find a good setting that helped me to progress through Qualifying".

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Antonelli acknowledged that he remained wary of the threat posed by the Ferrari pair.

"For sure. It’s not going to be easy. I’ve got two Ferraris behind me, and for sure they’re going to work together. But their pace is good, and ours was strong in the Sprint race. So hopefully we can keep that tomorrow, and hopefully we can do a good race".

Charles Leclerc has revealed he contemplated copying Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton's driving style following his challenging recent run of form, before opting to stick with his own style and finding a way around the car. The Monegasque driver bounced back impressively during Saturday's Qualifying session for the British Grand Prix as he claimed P2 behind polesitter Kimi Antonelli and ahead of Hamilton. That represented a strong result after a difficult run, with Leclerc failing to finish the Grands Prix in Monaco and Barcelona before coming home a disappointing eight last weekend in Austria. Similarly he could only come home in fifth during the British Grand Prix Sprint, while Hamilton was in contention at the front before he had to settle for a runner-up spot. Speaking after his strong Qualifying, Leclerc explained his decision making and how he considered following what his experienced team mate on the other side of the garage was doing.

"I kind of had two options. One was to change my driving style and basically copy Lewis, because that seems to be working very well. The second was to keep my driving style and try to find a way around the car, and that’s the option I chose. Today it paid off. I hope it’ll pay off tomorrow as well".

Leclerc will be hoping his uptick in form continues into Sunday's Grand Prix, with the Ferrari man's last podium coming back in March at the Japanese Grand Prix. However, he will hope that the hard work digging into the data will pay off.

"The feeling wasn’t so good yesterday either, but I analysed a lot of the data. Little by little, you start to understand the bigger picture of why you’re struggling and what you need to change. I went in a direction that my intuition was telling me was the right one to adapt the car to my driving style, and that worked out very well today. I felt a lot better in Qualifying, which is a good thing. It’s been a long time since I felt that way in Qualifying. But we need to be careful. It’s very easy to get carried away after a good Saturday".

With Sprint winner Antonelli claiming his fifth pole of the season for Sunday's British Grand Prix, Leclerc acknowledged that it would be a challenge to take the fight to the Mercedes given his impressive form already this weekend. 

"They seemed to be very, very strong this morning, so I don’t know whether they kept the same pace or whether we improved enough. If they did, it’s going to be tricky. I feel a lot better in the car, so I just hope that feeling stays with me in the race. If it does, then I hope we can achieve a miracle. If not, I’ll still take the positives from a weekend like this, which are the lessons we’ve learned. But then again, the race is the most important part, and that’s where we’ll learn the most".

Meanwhile, Hamilton was unable to back up his impressive Sprint Qualifying pole lap with the seven-time World Champion having to make do with third on the grid in Sunday's race, an event he has won an incredible nine times. However, he explained that his car didn't feel quite as well balanced as it did on Friday around Silverstone.

"Yesterday I felt the car was really together, really well balanced, and from one session to the next we just kept getting quicker and quicker. Today I was struggling on the braking. The car was snapping or locking, and it just wasn’t underneath me in the same way".

When asked if he could go after the win tomorrow, Hamilton admitted it would be tricky given the strength of Antonelli and Mercedes.

"I’m not trying to be negative, but the Mercedes is just flat-out quicker. If we’re not able to get him on the first lap, he’ll just disappear into the distance. It’s definitely great to have both of us because that means, whether or not we can fully keep up with Kimi, we’ll see tomorrow. But hopefully we can maybe play with the strategy and work as a team to try to topple them. We’ll do our best, for sure".

George Russell says he and his Mercedes team are perplexed by his speed deficit on the straights relative to all the other Mercedes-powered cars after he ended up fourth on the grid for Sunday's British Grand Prix. The Briton, who has never finished higher than fifth at his home race, had a tough start to Qualifying as he locked up at Luffield and skated into the gravel before kissing the barriers with his front wing. Russell managed to escape and retreat to the pits before putting in a time good enough to progress, but he simply couldn't match the impressive lap times set by his team mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who took his fifth pole position of the season.

"I was confused [by his pace] after Qualifying yesterday but looking at the data we just realised I was losing all my speed in the straight. Yesterday it was a couple of tenths we lost on the straight. We thought we found the issue this morning but it turned out to be a bit of a bum read. It's the same again now just looking at the speed trap. I'm 6kph down in the last sector, 3kph down in the mid sector. It's not just to Kimi but all Mercedes-powered cars. We don't know what is going on. The team is working hard to understand what it is. For sure it makes it a bit frustrating".

Mercedes have had a strong race car on Sunday afternoons but after a bright start in the Sprint, where Russell rose into the top-three, he ultimately couldn't maintain it and ended up fourth. So, what are the Briton's hopes for Sunday - and how does he feel about potentially carrying the deficit on the straights into Sunday's Grand Prix in front of his home fans?

"That worries me going into tomorrow because, at the moment, we don't know what the issue is or how we are going to resolve it. But the team will work hard to see if there is anything we can change or figure out what might be the issue".

Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord reckons Russell can definitely make some progress from tomorrow considering the Silver Arrows' tyre degradation in race trim is pretty competitive.

"A tricky Q1 when he locked the fronts and ended up skidding through the gravel. I think he was pretty smart letting go of the brakes so he didn't end up beached. He got it all the way to the end of the gravel trap and then could get back to the pits. From there he had to rebuild. It was a really strong first lap in Q3, second one he said the tyres weren't quite there having waited in the pit lane and having to get them up to temperature. But even so: P4, second row - that's one step better than yesterday, and I think we saw in the Sprint, our tyre deg is pretty competitive so I'm sure he'll be setting his sights on much bigger things tomorrow".

Max Verstappen has detailed how a double whammy of issues hampered his Qualifying efforts at the British Grand Prix, with the Dutchman admitting that the problems made for an extra painful session en route to P7. After battling hard in the Sprint before falling back to P6, Verstappen and Red Bull initially looked to have made a decent start in Qualifying, the four-time World Champion ending Q1 in third place while team mate Isack Hadjar had gone fastest. Some issues appeared to kick in as the session progressed, however, with Verstappen reporting that the engine was not responding as normal in Q2, before he wound up in seventh - behind Hadjar in fifth - when Q3 reached its conclusion. Reflecting back on Qualifying after stepping out of the car, Verstappen explain:

"There were two things. The whole session, like of course not a good balance, but at the same time terribly slow on the straight for whatever reason, even compared to the other car. We couldn’t fix it from the first run until the end. I mean, when you’re slow on the straight here, you’re more full-throttle, you burn more battery… so it’s just like a spiral and it gets worse and worse throughout to the end of the lap. It’s like a double whammy, so it’s extra painful".

Asked if battling the McLarens looked like being the best-case scenario in Sunday’s race - and if Mercedes and Ferrari were out of reach - the 28-year-old answer: 

"We first have to fix our own problems. When you’re already just lacking top speed, that’s a major problem around here so that’s something that we need to understand also for tomorrow".

On the other side of the garage, Hadjar appeared more content with how the RB22 felt - but admitted that it was difficult to be so off the pace of the team’s rivals.

"I think yesterday I was fairly happy with the car - I just made a step I think, day two, made a step driving-wise, and very little mistakes. So I think that was good, but still it hits hard when you’re six tenths behind pole after a very good lap. And the thing is, I feel like the car is pretty good, so it’s hard to, at the moment, see how we can do to fight ahead".

Hadjar conceded that the Mercedes and Ferrari cars appeared too far away in Red Bull’s fight, adding: 

"I think you saw today’s Sprint race was kind of clear, the rankings in terms of race pace - like Mercedes, Ferrari and then McLaren, and then us. And I think if we can bring the fight to McLaren, that’s already a very good job".

Lando Norris has described his McLaren team as being "in a pickle" when it comes to pace after Qualifying sixth for the British Grand Prix. The reigning World Champion went into Saturday afternoon's session buoyed by an unexpected third-place finish in the Sprint, but could only qualify 0.766s behind polesitter Kimi Antonelli and will start his home event from the third row on Sunday. Despite bringing upgrades to Silverstone this weekend, and making tweaks to the set up between sessions, Norris was surprised by the comparative pace between the MCL40 and the leading cars.

"It was pretty poor really in terms of gap to the cars ahead. I thought my lap was pretty strong, it was my best lap by half a second, so thankfully I was not 1.3 seconds off. It was a good lap. I think I got everything out of it. We’re just slow. I thought we improved the car in some areas but we need to understand… like we’re just slow in the straight, we’re slow in every corner. It’s just the car’s not very efficient. We lack downforce and we have too much drag. So yeah, we’re in a pickle. This is a track where you need to be efficient. There’s so many places here where you rely upon drag, because you don’t have a straight-line mode in certain places, and this is where we lose a lot. And also just in every straight - there’s a lot of straights here - and just high speed. We’re not very good in the high-speed and we lose a lot in both that and slow speed. This shows who has a good car and who doesn’t, and it’s clear that we don’t".

Ask what he thinks he can do with the car he has in Sunday's race, the 26-year-old says: 

"I have no idea. I mean, we’ll try and get a good start again, obviously what made my race this morning was a good start. I don’t know how I finished P3 this morning when we’re seven tenths a lap off, you know that’s pretty insane. I think realistically a P5 should be best. We try and beat the Red Bulls, that’s the main thing we can ask for. I think to beat cars that are seventh tenths quicker, both the Ferraris and a Mercedes, is just a bit stupid".

Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren will start two places behind Norris in eighth. The Australian agreed with his team mate that Qualifying had been a difficult session, despite changes to the car. 

"Everywhere. Just incredibly tough. We thought we made some decent improvements to the car, but I don’t know if we just struggled a lot more in these windier conditions or what happened, but it was a real handful. The car has definitely been more challenging than we expected. Been struggling a lot with the balance of the car. We were pretty optimistic that we’d made a good step forward for Qualifying but unfortunately it didn’t change much. Just struggling for grip overall".

After a busy weekend of action on the track, the attentions of the drivers and teams turn to the 52-lap British Grand Prix. Antonelli enjoys a particularly strong Saturday at Silverstone, the Mercedes driver taking his first Sprint victory before seizing pole position in Qualifying later on. Joining him on the front row is Leclerc, while Hamilton and Russell follow in third and fourth respectively. It is confirmed in the build-up to Sunday’s race that two changes have been made to the starting order. Gasly drops from P12 to P15 after being handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding during Qualifying, while Stroll receives a 10-place drop for using additional power unit elements - though as he has qualified in P21, this only demotes the Canadian to P22. Amid a sunny and warm start to the afternoon, it is revealed prior to the race that all 22 cars start on the medium compound tyre, with Pirelli expecting the event to be a one-stop for most. After the formation lap is completed - during which there is a scare for Alonso, who briefly comes to a halt before getting going again and taking a pit lane start - the five lights go out to get the British Grand Prix underway. Leclerc enjoys a flying launch, the Ferrari driver surging into the lead while team mate Hamilton also climbs up to second, dropping Antonelli down to third. Russell defends against Hadjar to hang onto fourth, while there seems to be trouble for Piastri who reports that he feels he has damage, the McLaren having made contact with Lawson. Meanwhile Bearman experiences a tough start to his home event, the Haas driver going off track at Brooklands along with Albon after being tapped into a spin by the Williams. Piastri subsequently pits at the end of the lap, dropping him to the back of the field after the team changes his front wing, while Albon also makes a pit stop following damage in his clash with Bearman. 

Back on track a scrap plays out between the Red Bull pair - Verstappen moves up to fifth but cannot lose his team mate, who is following closely behind along with Norris in seventh. As the stewards confirm that they will investigate the Turn 6 incident involving Bearman and Albon, Antonelli remains within a second of Hamilton - and the seven-time World Champion is not that far adrift of Leclerc, running around 1.1s behind by Lap 5. There is further news from the stewards when it emerges that Hamilton has been noted for a potential false start, with an investigation subsequently following. Meanwhile Albon has been hit with a 10-second time penalty, having tagged Bearman in their earlier clash. Another penalty comes soon afterwards for Hamilton, the Briton receiving a five-second time penalty for a false start. To add to his woes, Antonelli is now only 0.5s behind on track, while Leclerc has stretched out a gap of 2.6s in the lead as Lap 9 ticks down. Behind them Russell has dropped back a little, while Verstappen is only a little over a second adrift and Hadjar, Norris, Lawson, Lindblad and Bortoleto complete the top 10 order. Russell radios in to query a strange feeling with his gearbox, before his team assures him that there are no concerns. After biding his time, Antonelli finally makes a move on Lap 11 at Copse to move up into P2 ahead of Hamilton, allowing the Italian to go on the chase of Leclerc four seconds up the road. Meanwhile Verstappen does not sound happy, the Dutchman reporting: 

"The downshifts are so shit".

Despite his complaints, Verstappen continues to close in on Russell, with the gap coming down to just under a second by Lap 14. Elsewhere Hadjar has Norris hot on his tail, the McLaren driver running in P7 one year on from claiming his first British Grand Prix victory. 

"Front left doesn’t look great. It’s graining".

Piastri reports, the Australian running the hard tyres following his early pit stop. Meanwhile Albon makes a pit stop to serve his 10-second time penalty before returning to the track. Verstappen makes his move on Russell during Lap 17, the Dutch driver then defending robustly when the Mercedes tries to fight back later in the lap. After that scrap, Verstappen dives into the pits to bolt on the hard tyres, reemerging in P7. By Lap 20, Leclerc is still holding a steady lead up front of four seconds from Antonelli, with Hamilton further back in third.

Russell continues on in fourth - Mercedes having not reacted to Red Bull’s pit stop - while Norris is promoted to fifth after Hadjar pits. Verstappen, Lawson, Lindblad, Bortoleto and Hadjar complete the top 10, the latter’s pit stop having been a slow one. A Virtual Safety Car is briefly called on Lap 22 while a marshal recovers an umbrella from the side of the track, but only Ocon and Perez are able to time a pit stop during this phase. Meanwhile, Hamilton reports that he is experiencing so much understeer. Shortly afterwards the Ferrari driver is brought in for a pit stop, despite arguing that his tyres still feel good. After serving his five-second penalty in the process, Hamilton’s stop brings him out into P6. Leclerc then visits the pits on Lap 26, swapping to the hard tyres before returning to the track in P2 - 17 seconds behind Antonelli, who is yet to pit. Elsewhere Hamilton receives some encouragement from his race engineer that we are fighting for the podium. Up at the front, Antonelli asks his team to not let other people undercut me, while Norris soon makes his stop to come back out on track in P7. Lap 30 sees an exciting battle play out between home favourites Russell and Hamilton, the latter initially overtaking for P4 before Russell snatches the position back. Another attempt at Brooklands one tour later sees Hamilton retake the place - only for Russell to move ahead again at Copse. Meanwhile Antonelli seems concerned about when he will pit, with Race Engineer Pete Bonnington assuring him that they can go round one more. 

Antonelli still does not pit at the end of that tour, however - while there is bad news for Russell, who is informed that he has a slow puncture. Despite this, the issue does not initially seem to be affecting the Briton, who goes wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen again in the fight for third. Russell ultimately has to pit on Lap 35, reemerging in P7 with more hard tyres bolted on, while Verstappen is now facing pressure from a chasing Hamilton. One tour later, Antonelli finally pits from P1 for the hard rubber, bringing him out in second with a deficit of 7.5s to new leader Leclerc. The stewards confirm that a Turn 15 incident between Russell and Verstappen has been noted - just as Hamilton is fighting hard against the latter to take P3, the Briton eventually taking the position on the Wellington Straight. Yellow flags are waved on Lap 39 as Hulkenberg pulls off track with an issue, with this then turning into a Virtual Safety Car phase. Verstappen quickly dives into the pits, as do Norris and Hadjar. Up at the front, Leclerc asks his team what they will do - with the response being that he will stay out. It is announced that there is no further investigation into the Russell and Verstappen incident, while Stroll receives a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits on five occasions. By Lap 41, Antonelli has closed the gap to Leclerc down to 3.1s - but the championship leader then reports that something is broken, leading him to visit the pits where the team changes his front wing and tyres. This drops him down to P6, but there seem to be further issues for the youngster.

"We think it is the wheel shield left-hand side".

Bono informs Antonelli, who responds that the car is not turning. After being told that they will box the car, Antonelli initially argues that he can try to continue - but it is then decided that he will pit again, the squad removing the affected part before sending him out again. All of this drops the Italian down to P10 by Lap 45, while Leclerc now has a 20-second lead over Hamilton. Antonelli reports further issues with his W17 but remains out on track - while also facing the threat of a penalty after taking a black and white flag for track limits. This subsequently proves to be the case, the Mercedes driver receiving a five-second time penalty. Elsewhere, further drama comes on Lap 48 when Verstappen goes off into the gravel at Stowe, leading to the Safety Car being deployed. Many drivers make a pit stop, including both Ferraris - but Russell remains out on track, meaning that the Briton has overtaken Hamilton for P2 in the process. As the marshals continue to clear Verstappen’s stricken RB22, the Safety Car remains out. The Grand Prix ultimately ends under the Safety Car and, as such, Leclerc crosses the line to seal victory - marking his ninth career win and first at Silverstone. Russell and Hamilton complete the top three, though it is confirmed that Hamilton will be investigated after the race for a yellow flag infringement. Norris follows in fourth, while the rest of the points-paying positions go to Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad, Bortoleto, Colapinto and Gasly.

Piastri’s difficult day ends down in P11, ahead of Sainz - who will also be investigated after the race for a Safety Car infringement - Bearman, Ocon and Perez. Antonelli’s penalty drops the Italian back to P16 - and scoring no points means that his championship lead is reduced to 25 points from team mate Russell. Bottas, Alonso and Stroll are the final drivers to take the chequered flag, though the latter is another set for a post-race stewards’ investigation into exceeding track limits, while Verstappen, Albon and Hulkenberg form the day’s retirements list. Charles Leclerc believes the feeling was back where it needs to be after taking victory in the British Grand Prix, which was the Ferrari driver's first win since 2024. The Monegasque driver claimed victory in Sunday's 52-lap race after an impressive performance at Silverstone, having taken the lead at the start from polesitter Kimi Antonelli. Leclerc extended his advantage, initially over team mate Lewis Hamilton and then Antonelli, and only lost the lead after making his sole pit stop before moving back to the front when Antonelli also pitted. The Mercedes driver began to cut the gap on 10-lap newer tyres, before a car issue meant Antonelli dropped back, with a late Safety Car ensuring Leclerc took his first win since the 2024 United States Grand Prix.

"It feels incredible. Unfortunately the end was maybe not the one I will have dreamt of, but to win after the last few weekends that have been particularly difficult, all the work that we put into trying to get the feeling back in the car. I felt like I had found something yesterday between the Sprint and Qualifying but I had to confirm that today. And today, the feeling was back where it needs to be. I'm so incredibly happy".

Leclerc had endured a difficult 2026 season ahead of this weekend, having not reached the podium since Japan back in March, as well as suffering crashes in both Monaco and Barcelona and being outpaced by Hamilton. The Ferrari driver admitted that it would have been difficult to keep Antonelli behind in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix, and that he was glad the race finished behind the Safety Car.

"With Kimi it would have been close. He was very fast when he was coming towards me, so it would have been very difficult to keep that first place. Then I heard he had a problem, so I was like okay, I have quite a big gap, it should be straightforward. But then the Safety Car at the end, and then for whatever reason, I think some back markers had to pass us so I did all the Safety Car at 100, 120kph. My tyres were completely cold. So I was sceptical about the restart. It's not great for the fans that are here at the track, but in the helmet I was happy that there was not a restart to keep that win. It feels really good".

George Russell admits despite managing to claim his first podium in the British Grand Prix:

"I'm not going to fight for a championship if the performances continue like that".

The Mercedes driver split the Ferraris of winner Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in Sunday's 52-lap race, finishing second having been as low as seventh at one stage. Russell failed to match the performance of team mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli for most of the weekend, the Italian teenager having taken victory in Saturday's Sprint and pole for the Grand Prix, while Russell finished fourth. The Briton again languished behind his team mate in the Grand Prix, and was battling with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton for third before a slow puncture and unscheduled stop dropped him down the order. But car problems for Antonelli, a crash for Verstappen and pit stop for Hamilton under a late Safety Car meant Russell vaulted up the order to claim an unlikely podium.

"After the slow puncture and pitting, then going down to P7, if you told me I was going to come home in second, I would have been like, there's no way. I wouldn't have been able to comprehend how those events would have unfolded. I think P3 was probably a deserved result behind Kimi and Charles. Obviously I was ahead of Lewis, I was fighting with Max. Max is a tough competitor, I think I would have passed him at one point. Then standing here P2".

Antonelli was left outside the points after a loose wheel rim cover dropped him down the order when on course to battle Leclerc for the win, while a five-second penalty for track limits meant he was eventually classified in P16. The result means Russell is now only 25 points behind Antonelli having been 40 adrift ahead of the weekend. But Russell admits that his general performance was not good enough if he hopes to come away with a maiden F1 title at the end of the season.

"It is important just to keep on fighting but the truth is, there's been a lot of things this weekend we don't really understand. Straight line speed issues yesterday and on Friday, I think it was better today but the performance wasn't good enough and if I'm being brutally honest, I'm not going to fight for a championship if the performances continue like that. I'm not coming away from this weekend satisfied. I'll take the result, but I would have been more satisfied leaving Canada when I broke down from the lead than I am today standing P2. Just because I probably deserved the win in Canada, and today I didn't deserve to stand where I stood".

The outcome of a post-race investigation into a yellow flag infringement by Lewis Hamilton during the British Grand Prix has been confirmed, with the seven-time World Champion being handed a reprimand by the stewards. It was an eventful afternoon at Silverstone for Hamilton, who received a five-second time penalty for a false start, which was served during his first pit stop. He later crossed the line in third place, having lost out on what looked to be a likely P2 when he pitted during a late-race Safety Car, with Mercedes’ George Russell - who had stayed out on track - taking the position. But there was further trouble to come for Hamilton when news broke that he would have to visit the stewards over a yellow flag infringement - an incident that he commented on after the race.

"I’m probably going to get a penalty right now as well. I went through a yellow flag and I didn’t it. Jumped the start, yellow flag - when it rains, it pours".

Following the hearing, it was confirmed that Hamilton would receive a reprimand for the infringement, marking his first of the season. In a document released detailing the verdict, Hamilton was said to have failed to slow for a single yellow flag at Turn 9 on Lap 38. It explains that the Briton had entered the relevant sector before any yellow flag or yellow light panel was displayed, and that the yellow indication on the steering wheel display only appeared once the driver was already on the straight towards Turn 10 and close to the end of the yellow flag zone. It continues: 

"The evidence showed that there was no yellow light panel warning within the driver’s immediate field of vision and that the yellow indication on the steering wheel display remained visible for only a very short period. The stewards were therefore satisfied that the time available for the driver to react to the yellow flag indication was very limited".

The stewards also took into account that Hamilton had been battling with Max Verstappen immediately prior to entering the sector and was expecting a counter attack, meaning that his attention remained directed to his mirrors for most of the straight towards Turn 10, rather than immediately towards the green light panel at the end of the sector. However, the stewards determined that after the yellow had been displayed on the steering wheel display and the green light panel was illuminated immediately before Turn 10, Hamilton did not make a discernible reduction of speed and therefore did not fully comply with the requirements applicable under a single yellow flag. Before that verdict was announced, Hamilton also reflected on his race as a whole. When quizzed on the decision to pit during the Safety Car, the 41-year-old admitted that it was all a bit of a blur, adding:

"I was in P2 and then we stopped".

When it was put to him that he was not able to benefit from having fresher tyres than Russell ahead - given that the race ultimately ended under the Safety Car - Hamilton responded: 

"Yeah, we could have predicted that. We did what we thought was right".

The Briton went on to praise team mate Charles Leclerc for his victory, before explaining his own struggles that had unfolded as the event progressed.

"Congrats to Charles - Charles did a great job today. All the magic that I had on Friday just disappeared through the weekend. I was just lacking front-end and we massively under-egged it with the front wing. That’s my fault and the engineering fault".

Kimi Antonelli admits failing to score any points in the British Grand Prix was tough to swallow, as the Mercedes driver was hit by late car problems when on course to challenge for victory. The Italian teenager looked likely to fight for the win against eventual winner Charles Leclerc in Sunday's 52-lap race at Silverstone. Antonelli had closed to within just a few seconds of the Ferrari driver on fresher tyres, having initially dropped from pole to third at the start before re-passing Lewis Hamilton in the opening stint. But on Lap 41, Antonelli suffered a problem when the front-left wheel shield became detached, making turning difficult and requiring two additional pit stops to try and rectify the problem. Dropping to P10, Antonelli was then handed a five-second penalty for track limits having gone off line several times due to the problem. With the race finishing under a late Safety Car after Max Verstappen spun into the gravel on Lap 48, it meant the field closed-up and the Mercedes driver was dropped to P16 in the final classification.

"I couldn't believe because it was going from bad to worse. When I went out after the last stop, the car was kind of driveable. Still, I was missing so much downforce but I think P10 was very achievable despite the penalty. I was pulling away and I think I would have had the gap that was required but then the Safety Car came and I knew it was over".

Antonelli had taken victory in Saturday's Sprint, but leaves Silverstone with just a 25-point margin over team mate George Russell - it having been 40 ahead of the weekend. The non-score was the second of Antonelli's season, as a P2 finish in Barcelona was also lost in the final laps due to a car problem.

"We had an incredible run with five races, five wins in a row and everything was probably going too much on my way. We had two DNFs in three races and obviously it's tough to swallow, because Barcelona I was running P2, here I was going for the win. I think we had a real shot and I was within striking distance. It's a shame I didn't even have the chance to try but it is what it is. It went this way and the most important is that we bounce back stronger".

Max Verstappen has branded a recurring issue with his Red Bull car as frustrating and painful after he crashed out of the British Grand Prix with just four laps to go. The Dutch driver was sitting third, with a podium spot potentially on the cards, when he span out of proceedings and ended up in the gravel at Stowe. His off triggered a late Safety Car as marshals worked to remove his beached RB22, with Charles Leclerc going on to win the race as it concluded in neutralised conditions.

Speaking afterwards, the four-time World Champion blamed the same rear-wing issue that caused him to crash during Qualifying in Austria the previous race weekend.

"When the rear wing doesn’t close fully, you lose a lot of downforce and you spin off the track. So, yeah. One time, okay, but two times… this is becoming dangerous for myself. And obviously, I don’t want that".

When asked where he goes from here after a disappointing weekend, Verstappen seemed despondent.

"I don’t know. I mean… yeah. It’s just painful, frustrating. You know, you’re trying everything you can. Yesterday, of course… I mean, the whole weekend I’m not happy with the car balance. I’m down on top speed on my side of the garage. Same again today in the race. If it was up to me, I would have started from the pit lane, but yeah. At the moment, I’m honestly just looking forward to going home and not thinking about Formula 1".

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Red Bull garage, Isack Hadjar finished in fifth - the same position where he started - and conceded he was frustrated at not being able to make moves higher up the order.

"Very good pace the first few laps. I was right within Max’s overtake mode and, I don’t know, it just felt nice. Then we had a huge drop-off. Even on new tyres, on the new hard after the pit stop, I don’t know… just not much pace. I was really lacking load on the car. Once we changed the front wing and I went out again, we gained a lot of lap time. So I was happy again, but at the same time I was like, 'okay, I just wasted my whole race,' because four or five laps had gone by and I’d lost many positions. So, quite frustrating".

When asked if he felt he was getting the most out of the car, despite the results, the French driver added: "I think I got on top of what the car could do with the new package, which I couldn’t really do at the Red Bull Ring.

"So I’m happy with that. Now we just need to understand what went wrong during that no-man’s-land stint, and then maybe we can go and fight further ahead".

Reigning World Champion Lando Norris believes McLaren "have a lot to improve" after a difficult British Grand Prix, which yielded fourth place.

The Briton never troubled the leaders in Sunday's 52-lap race at Silverstone, but benefitted after car problems for Kimi Antonelli and a Max Verstappen spin moved him up the order. Despite finishing third in Saturday's Sprint, Norris and McLaren endured a difficult weekend at their home event, as they were unable to match the outright pace of Ferrari and Mercedes.

"Considering how not nice it’s felt out there, P4 and a P3 this weekend in the Sprint is quite remarkable, honestly. Of course we were lucky today, but the race is also about finishing. It’s about reliability and not making mistakes. I don’t know what happened to Max and Kimi. Poor start today, I don’t know why, so we have to understand some things. Also the car just wasn’t very nice in any way whatsoever today, so we have a lot to improve. The positive is the results, and that’s really the only thing that matters at the end of the day, but the pace to get them was really, really not good. We need to take a big step forward".

Norris highlighted that McLaren's MCL40 has not got enough grip and not enough downforce, which meant it struggled around Silverstone's flowing, high-speed layout. With upgrades in the pipeline, Norris believes the team can still bounce back and despite being 82 points behind Antonelli in the Drivers' standings, is not ruling himself out of defending his title with 13 race weekends remaining.

"I’m still confident that the team can turn things around. The team can build race-winning cars and championship-winning cars, so I’m not concerned about it. It’s just a race against time at the minute. I’m not out of the race - I don’t believe I am out of the race just yet. But we need stuff now, not later".

McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri endured a difficult race of his own on Sunday, failing to reach the points after receiving front wing damage on the opening lap which required a pit stop.

"I got sandwiched by the Racing Bulls on the way to Turn 6, three-wide down the straight, and three into one didn’t work".