British GP Sprint Qualifying report: Lewis Hamilton puts Ferrari on Sprint pole

British GP Sprint Qualifying report: Lewis Hamilton puts Ferrari on Sprint pole!. Silverstone Sprint Qualifying: Lewis Hamilton beats Mercedes to secure Ferrari pole.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari SF-26, 2026 F1, front suspension

Lewis Hamilton will start the Sprint race from pole position after delivering a superb lap for Ferrari in Sprint Qualifying at the 2026 British Grand Prix. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion set a benchmark time of 1:28.376, edging Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds in an incredibly close battle at Silverstone.

Max Verstappen secured third place on the grid, with Charles Leclerc completing a strong afternoon for Ferrari by qualifying fourth. George Russell finished fifth, ahead of Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who rounded out the top ten.

It was another disappointing session for Aston Martin, with both cars locking out the final row of the grid. Cadillac also endured a difficult qualifying, with both American entries finishing together on the penultimate row, while Haas struggled as well, ending up just ahead of them.

Here is how Sprint Qualifying unfolded at Silverstone.

SQ1: Lewis Hamilton sets the pace as Ferrari impresses

The opening phase of Sprint Qualifying immediately produced plenty of action, with all drivers heading out on the mandatory medium tyres.

With five minutes remaining, Isack Hadjar topped the timing screens with a lap of 1:29.470, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. Kimi Antonelli was fifth at that stage, with Max Verstappen in sixth.

Further down the order, Liam Lawson once again impressed by running seventh, while Pierre Gasly also showed encouraging pace inside the top ten.

As the final runs unfolded, Lewis Hamilton improved once again to finish SQ1 fastest, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Isack Hadjar.

The drivers eliminated in SQ1 were:

Oliver Bearman
Esteban Ocon
Sergio Perez
Valtteri Bottas
Fernando Alonso
Lance Stroll

SQ2: George Russell survives as Ferrari stays strong

The second segment began with Lewis Hamilton immediately returning to the top of the timesheets. Kimi Antonelli followed in second, with Charles Leclerc once again demonstrating Ferrari’s impressive pace by securing third.

George Russell initially found himself down in eighth place, while Max Verstappen occupied fifth.

Following a brief return to the pits, the drivers completed their decisive laps. Mercedes continued to struggle to extract maximum performance, with George Russell improving only to seventh, while Ferrari confirmed its excellent form throughout the session.

The drivers eliminated in SQ2 were:

Pierre Gasly
Gabriel Bortoleto
Nico Hulkenberg
Franco Colapinto
Carlos Sainz
Alexander Albon

Meanwhile, McLaren mechanics carried out brake adjustments on Lando Norris’ MCL40 before the decisive final session.

SQ3: Lewis Hamilton denies Mercedes to secure Sprint pole

The final seven-minute shootout saw every driver opt for a single flying lap.

Lewis Hamilton delivered when it mattered most, producing a sensational lap to claim Sprint pole for Ferrari. Kimi Antonelli came agonisingly close but fell just 11 thousandths of a second short, while Max Verstappen secured third place.

Charles Leclerc completed an encouraging day for Ferrari in fourth, with George Russell taking fifth position ahead of the Sprint race.