Kimi Antonelli claimed victory in the British Grand Prix sprint race after overtaking Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone, extending his Formula 1 championship lead over George Russell.
Formula 1: Antonelli beats Hamilton to win British GP sprint (Credit: X/Formula 1)
Kimi Antonelli continued his sensational Formula One campaign by claiming victory in the British Grand Prix sprint race at Silverstone on Saturday, overtaking Lewis Hamilton with a clinical move before pulling away to extend his lead in the drivers’ championship.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver delivered another composed performance, timing his attack to perfection as he swept past Hamilton’s Ferrari on the Hangar Straight on the eighth lap after carefully managing his battery deployment.
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Once in front, Antonelli controlled the pace to secure another sprint victory and increase his championship advantage to 43 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell.
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Behind the leading duo, the battle for the podium produced some of the race’s most entertaining moments. McLaren’s Lando Norris, Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen traded positions repeatedly during a frantic opening phase.
Starting sixth on the grid, Norris made an electric getaway to climb to fourth on the opening lap before overtaking Russell a lap later. After several position changes among the trio, the Briton eventually secured third place and gradually built a comfortable gap.
Russell reclaimed fourth from Verstappen on lap nine before Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also found a way past the reigning world champion a lap later. Verstappen was unable to fight back and settled for sixth, successfully fending off McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the closing stages.
Further down the order, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson held off sustained pressure from Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar to claim the final points-paying position.
Antonelli’s latest triumph further underlined his remarkable rise in Formula One. The Italian teenager displayed impressive race management and composure to defeat seven-time world champion Hamilton, taking another significant step towards a maiden Formula One drivers’ title.
Qualifying for the British Grand Prix is scheduled to begin at 8:30 PM IST on Saturday.
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