Kimi Antonelli passes Lewis Hamilton to win action-packed British Grand Prix Sprint

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Kimi Antonelli took victory at the British Grand Prix Sprint after what was an action-packed session at Silverstone.

On Saturday, the fourth Sprint race of the 2026 Formula 1 season took place at the British Grand Prix, around the iconic Silverstone Circuit.

Ahead of the Sprint, all eyes were fixated on Lewis Hamilton after his dominant performance on Friday meant he started from P1 ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen.

Meanwhile, Williams driver Alex Albon, who originally qualified 16th, started from the pit lane after changing his suspension under parc ferme.

Let’s hear your podium predictions for the British Grand Prix 🍾

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As the lights went out, Hamilton got the perfect launch off the line as he led the pack into the first corner, with Antonelli closely following the seven-time world champion. However, it was a poor getaway from Verstappen as he tumbled down the order, with the McLaren duo getting a fast start. 

Lando Norris had managed to overtake Antonelli before the pair switched positions again, allowing George Russell, who was charging from fifth place, to get ahead of the reigning world champion as the second lap commenced.

The two Brit drivers continued their battle, with Norris regaining P3 before Verstappen joined in the party by momentarily moving up to third.

Out in front, Hamilton had edged out a 0.9 second lead over Antonelli, with the young Italian catching throughout the session.

Amid all the overtaking in the first few laps of the Sprint, a yellow flag was brought out after Fernando Alonso was sent spinning following contact from Cadillac driver Sergio Perez, with the Mexican being handed a 10-second penalty.

At the half-way point of the Sprint, Antonelli managed to close the gap to Hamilton and was within the one-second margin that enabled him to use Overtake Mode.

On Lap 8, Antonelli managed to overtake Hamilton on the Hangar Straight, using the extra energy to blast past the Ferrari driver.

A lap later, it was Russell’s turn to use extra power as he took P4 from Verstappen, with the Dutchman fighting into Turn 4.

After overtaking Hamilton, Antonelli went on to put more than one second between himself and Hamilton, allowing himself some breathing space for the remainder of the race.

Kimi Antonelli wins the British GP Sprint. Who can stop him winning the Grand Prix?

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During the closing stages, the fight for P4 continued, with Russell, Verstappen and Leclerc all involved in a fascinating battle.

Further down the grid, there was not much action, with Aston Martin and Cadillac stuck at the rear of the pack, behind the likes of Williams, Haas, Audi and Alpine, who were on the cusp of the top 10.

In the end, Antonelli took the chequered flag ahead of Hamilton, becoming the youngest Sprint winner in F1 history, with Norris securing the final spot on the podium.

Russell managed to hold off Leclerc and Verstappen to come home in fourth place.