1 hour ago
Kimi Antonelli took rod position for nan British Grand Prix astatine Silverstone, seeing disconnected a concerted situation from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton successful 2nd and 3rd and his Mercedes teammate George Russell who was fourth.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could negociate only sixth and eighth for McLaren, pinch four-time champion Max Verstappen successful seventh for Red Bull.
Antonelli held his nervus successful what was a tense qualifying session, slotting successful a last thigh of existent committedness and inch-perfect execution arsenic he was pushed to nan limit by nan 2 Ferraris. The Italian 19-year-old, who leads nan world title and won nan sprint title connected Saturday morning, had almost two-tenths connected Leclerc and three-tenths connected Hamilton, nary mini margins.
After his triumph successful nan sprint race, Antonelli has accrued his lead successful nan world title to 43 points complete Russell and 47 points complete Hamilton.
Antonelli and Mercedes demonstrated that their superiority remains intact contempt nan swathe of upgrades each squad has now employed. Mercedes stay unbeaten this play successful qualifying contempt Ferrari’s gait truthful acold this weekend.
Antonelli was arsenic assured and assured arsenic ever he has been this season, delivering his 5th rod from 9 races and erstwhile again demonstrating that he is nan favourite for nan title. The 19-year-old has 5 wins already and each chance of different connected Sunday.
Russell will beryllium disappointed by 4th and had already made difficult activity of it erstwhile he went disconnected during Q1. Heading into Luffield he locked up and went consecutive on, careering crossed nan gravel to return a glancing rustle against nan wall. He did negociate to return to nan pits but pinch harm to nan beforehand of nan car. He was mystified arsenic to what had happened. “That was very weird. I’ve ne'er locked up location successful my full career,” he said.
He was capable to proceed aft repairs.
For nan last speedy runs successful Q3, nan McLarens, which had been struggling for grip and looked a fistful to drive, were retired early but were not adjacent nan gait of nan Mercedes and Ferrari. Leclerc duly took nan apical spot and was promptly pipped by Hamilton, until nan Mercedes brace proved to person nan edge, Antonelli from Russell by nine-hundredths of a 2nd and two-tenths up connected Hamilton successful third.
The past speedy laps were group up for a tense showdown, successful which Hamilton knew he could spell quicker, having mislaid a fraction correcting a insignificant descent astatine Village. Antonelli went retired first, which vexed nan Italian and he questioned nan squad arsenic to their rationale, while Hamilton went retired last, looking to use from nan way evolution.
The Italian’s concerns proved unfounded nevertheless arsenic Antonelli did amended successful nan mediate and last sectors. Leclerc excessively improved but Hamilton could not, managing only third, three-tenths backmost connected Antonelli’s rod clip of 1minute 28.111seconds, pinch Russell relegated to fourth.
