Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc top Silverstone speed charts in surprise Ferrari turnaround. Ferrari tops British GP Sprint Qualifying speed trap after weeks of power unit questions.

Ferrari showed encouraging straight-line performance during Sprint Qualifying for the 2026 British Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton topping the speed trap at Silverstone.

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion reached 323 km/h, making him the fastest driver through the speed trap. Charles Leclerc followed closely behind with 321 km/h, giving Ferrari a commanding one-two in the top speed rankings and highlighting the SF-26’s impressive efficiency on Silverstone’s long straights.

The figures are particularly noteworthy considering the narrative surrounding Ferrari’s power unit over recent race weekends. Since the Austrian Grand Prix, much of the discussion has focused on Ferrari’s apparent engine deficit compared to Mercedes and Red Bull, with several analysts suggesting the Scuderia was losing valuable performance on the straights. Seeing both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc occupy the top two positions in the speed trap therefore comes as a surprise and could indicate that Ferrari has either found a more competitive setup for Silverstone, benefited from circuit characteristics, or made progress in extracting more performance from its package.

Of course, top-speed data should always be interpreted with caution. Factors like battery deployment, aerodynamic configuration and slipstream effects can all influence the numbers. Nevertheless, Ferrari’s presence at the top of the rankings is an encouraging sign, especially at a circuit where power unit efficiency and energy deployment are expected to play a crucial role throughout the weekend.

Franco Colapinto also impressed by reaching 320 km/h, while Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly both recorded 319 km/h. Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson followed on 318 km/h, showing how closely matched several teams were in terms of outright straight-line speed.

At the opposite end of the table, Aston Martin endured a difficult session, with Fernando Alonso managing only 306 km/h and Lance Stroll recording the lowest speed of the field at 303 km/h.

British GP Sprint Qualifying top speeds