The Formula 1 Sprint race at Silverstone highlighted the limitations of Ferrari’s power unit, particularly when compared to the impressive straight-line speed shown by Mercedes. That was the main reason why Lewis Hamilton was only able to defend his position for around ten laps before eventually having to concede to Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes. Even so, Ferrari left the Sprint encouraged by the overall balance and consistency of the SF-26.
Attention then shifted to the second qualifying session of the British Grand Prix weekend, where the Maranello team needed to confirm the impressive level of competitiveness displayed on Friday. The biggest question heading into qualifying was whether the opportunity to modify the cars after the Sprint had changed the competitive order and whether Ferrari could once again challenge for the front rows of the grid.
F1, Silverstone GP Q1: Ferrari competitive with both drivers
One of the biggest talking points before qualifying concerned Charles Leclerc’s performance. Once again, the Monegasque driver appeared to be finding life more difficult than his Ferrari teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc was still searching for the perfect feeling with the SF-26 and continued to struggle to extract the absolute maximum performance from the car over a single lap. Finding confidence through Silverstone’s high-speed corners remained one of the key objectives.
Beyond outright pace, tyre management and the ability to deploy the hybrid energy system as efficiently as possible were expected to play a decisive role throughout qualifying. Ferrari had executed both aspects extremely well during Sprint Qualifying, surprising virtually everyone in the Formula 1 paddock with the effectiveness of its energy management strategy. Replicating that performance would once again be essential if Ferrari wanted to fight for the front rows.
It soon became clear whether the advantage that had helped seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton secure Sprint pole position was still present, or whether rival teams had carefully analysed the telemetry from car number 44 overnight and found ways to optimise their own harvesting and deployment strategies. Every team had spent hours studying data after Friday’s sessions, hoping to close the gap. As soon as the pit exit light turned green, both Ferrari drivers headed onto the circuit to begin their qualifying campaign.
So let’s take a detailed look at how events unfolded for the Maranello team’s drivers in the qualifying session for the British Grand Prix. For the opening run, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton used previously scrubbed Soft tyres. During the out lap, the focus immediately turned to engine mapping, with both race engineers confirming over the radio that every parameter matched the planned settings established before the session.
The handling of the Ferrari cars immediately looked very clean and predictable, with no major balance issues visible through Silverstone’s demanding sequence of corners. There was still a slight tendency towards oversteer, particularly on corner exit, but it did not appear to be causing any significant problems at this stage. The team then completed a double cool-down lap, with no adjustments made to the front wing settings or aerodynamic balance.
Charles Leclerc posted the quicker lap than Lewis Hamilton, providing an encouraging early indication that the Monegasque had found a better rhythm compared to previous sessions. Shortly afterwards, drama struck when double yellow flags were shown after George Russell narrowly avoided making contact with the barriers. Fortunately for the Mercedes driver, he managed to continue without damage, allowing Q1 to resume after only a brief interruption. Neither Ferrari driver improved over the following two laps before comfortably returning to the garage, having already secured safe passage into the next phase of qualifying.
F1, Silverstone GP Q2: Ferrari takes the fight to Mercedes
The Ferrari drivers completed only a single competitive run in Q1, which proved more than enough to comfortably progress while using their previously used Soft tyres. It was an impressive demonstration of confidence and underlying pace that suggested Ferrari had genuine speed in reserve. Nevertheless, maximum concentration remained absolutely essential because the competition at the front was incredibly close.
While George Russell appeared to be struggling to unlock the maximum performance from his Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli looked extremely competitive throughout the session and was consistently matching Ferrari’s lap times. At the same time, it would have been far too early to rule out Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the two McLarens, while reigning world champion Max Verstappen also remained firmly in contention despite not appearing completely comfortable with his car.
The start of Q2 was delayed while marshals cleared debris from the Becketts section following Franco Colapinto’s spin. The incident temporarily interrupted the session, but once the track was declared safe, qualifying resumed without further delays. An important strategic advantage for Ferrari and Kimi Antonelli was that neither had needed to use a fresh set of tyres earlier, leaving them with an additional new set that could become extremely valuable later in the decisive stages of qualifying.
The Ferrari drivers returned to the circuit on brand-new Soft tyres after carefully managing every aspect of the warm-up procedure. At this stage, however, the steering characteristics of the SF-26 began to feel slightly more nervous than before, particularly for Charles Leclerc through the opening sector. This time Lewis Hamilton moved ahead of his teammate on the timesheets, helped by a useful slipstream along the straight leading towards Turn 6. Meanwhile, the Monegasque driver still had room for improvement through the fast changes of direction at Turns 3 and 4, where every fraction of a second could ultimately make a significant difference.
Following a quick stop in the pits, both Ferrari drivers headed back out on another fresh set of Soft tyres. The opening sector was excellent for both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and the remainder of the lap was equally competitive. Charles Leclerc delivered an extremely strong lap, demonstrating impressive commitment through Silverstone’s famous high-speed corners. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, experienced a significant loss of grip as the lap progressed.
He immediately reported the issue over team radio, although Ferrari engineers had already identified the problem through the telemetry. As the tyres gradually lost performance, Lewis Hamilton finished around two tenths slower than Charles Leclerc.
F1, Silverstone GP Q3: Ferrari secures front row with Charles Leclerc
The major question heading into the final part of qualifying was why Lewis Hamilton’s grip had disappeared so noticeably during Q2. The most likely explanation was that the tyres had not been brought into their ideal operating window during the preparation lap, leading to overheating that progressively reduced the available grip on car number 44. During the short break before Q3, Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari engineers carefully analysed every piece of warm-up telemetry in an effort to prevent the same issue from affecting the decisive laps.
The moment of truth had finally arrived. Kimi Antonelli looked exceptionally quick throughout the weekend and, unlike Friday’s Sprint Qualifying, was determined not to let pole position slip away this time. After a brief pause, the decisive session resumed. Both Ferrari cars headed out once again on brand-new Soft tyres, taking advantage of the additional fresh set they had wisely saved earlier in the session. That strategic decision allowed both the Monegasque and the Briton to complete two genuine attacking runs during Q3, giving Ferrari every opportunity to challenge at the very front.
The first flying laps were solid overall, with only a few small imperfections preventing an even stronger result. Even so, both Ferraris remained behind the two Mercedes cars, trailing George Russell by one tenth of a second and Kimi Antonelli by two tenths. Both drivers then returned to the garage before preparing for one final attempt. There was confidence within the Ferrari garage that further improvements were still possible, something that was also confirmed over team radio, where several corners were identified as offering additional performance if executed perfectly. Nevertheless, everyone recognised that the fight for pole position appeared considerably more difficult than it had been just twenty-four hours earlier.
When the final runs began, both Ferrari drivers produced excellent laps under immense pressure. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton eventually secured second and third positions on the starting grid, with Charles Leclerc beating his Ferrari teammate by approximately one and a half tenths of a second. Finishing ahead of one of the Mercedes cars was already a satisfying outcome for Ferrari, especially considering the fierce level of competition throughout qualifying.
However, Kimi Antonelli once again demonstrated outstanding speed and ultimately secured pole position with an exceptional final lap. Sunday’s British Grand Prix promises to be a demanding and strategically complex race for Ferrari, because the Mercedes W17 appears to possess a clear advantage in terms of engine performance and straight-line speed.
Even so, Ferrari can take confidence from its impressive qualifying pace, with Charles Leclerc starting from the front row and Lewis Hamilton lining up immediately behind, giving the Italian team a genuine opportunity to challenge for a strong result if race pace, tyre management and strategy all come together over the course of the Grand Prix.
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