Silverstone Sprint Race: Andrea Kimi Antonelli beats Lewis Hamilton to victory
Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed victory in an entertaining Sprint Race at Silverstone after overtaking Lewis Hamilton, while as many as seven drivers spent much of the race battling for the podium positions.
Starting from second on the grid, the Italian waited until lap eight before closing the gap to the pole-sitting Ferrari and making his decisive move on the straight. Lewis Hamilton defended the lead with determination in front of his home crowd, but there was little he could do once the Mercedes driver closed in, as the W17 held a clear straight-line speed advantage over the Ferrari SF-26.
Lando Norris completed the podium after successfully holding off the late challenge from George Russell, whose race ultimately lacked the pace required to fight for victory and ended with a fourth-place finish.
Behind the leading British duo came Charles Leclerc, who recovered well after a poor start dropped him to seventh place. The Ferrari driver fought back by overtaking both Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri to secure fifth position at the finish.
Max Verstappen initially looked capable of challenging near the front, but excessive tyre degradation caused him to fade as the race progressed. Oscar Piastri also struggled to match the pace of his McLaren teammate and crossed the line in seventh, ahead of Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad.
How the Silverstone Sprint unfolded
All of the leading drivers lined up on the medium compound tyres, with the exception of Liam Lawson, whose Red Bull started ninth on a used set.
When the lights went out, Sprint pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton maintained the lead into Turn 1 despite an immediate challenge from Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Both McLaren drivers made excellent starts, with Lando Norris immediately climbing to third before briefly passing Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes for second place. However, the move did not last long, as the Italian quickly reclaimed the position and resumed his pursuit of the leading Ferrari.
Behind the front two, the fight for third place remained intense. Lando Norris, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc continuously exchanged positions and remained closely matched during the opening laps.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli makes the decisive move
After seven laps, the battle for the lead intensified as Andrea Kimi Antonelli closed to within striking distance of Lewis Hamilton.
The Ferrari driver defended brilliantly, making full use of the SF-26’s strong traction out of the slower corners. Nevertheless, it took the Mercedes driver only one lap to complete the overtake, using the superior straight-line speed of the W17 to move into first place.
Meanwhile, George Russell also began making progress. On lap 10, the Mercedes driver overtook Max Verstappen to move into fourth place.
The Dutchman’s tyres had already started to fade, and he soon lost another position to Charles Leclerc, allowing the Ferrari driver to climb into fifth.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli controls the race
Once in front, Andrea Kimi Antonelli quickly established control of the Sprint.
Lewis Hamilton was unable to match the pace of the Mercedes, and within four laps the Italian had extended his advantage to more than one and a half seconds, despite experiencing some tyre graining.
Further behind, the order stabilised, with the only remaining battle involving third place. George Russell rapidly reduced the gap to Lando Norris, but despite applying sustained pressure, he was unable to find a way past his fellow Briton before the chequered flag.
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