British GP 2026
JULY 4, 2026
Sprint Race Report - Antonelli takes first Sprint win
© Mercedes
By Mark Karp
Kimi Antonelli in his Mercedes GP took his first sprint race win, beating polesitter Lewis Hamilton in his Ferrari by 2.745 seconds. Lando Norris, in his McLaren-Mercedes took third, 9.783 seconds behind.
Antonelli took fast lap on the final lap at 1m31.607s.
George Russell (10.639s) in the second Mercedes GP finished fourth followed by Charles Leclerc (12.620s) in the second Ferrari was fifth, Max Verstappen (16.550s) in the Red Bull-Ford was sixth, Oscar Piastri (17.551s), in the second McLaren was seventh, and Liam Lawson (35.110s) in the Racing Bulls-Ford took the final point eighth place.
The weather is cooler than yesterday as we get ready for the Sprint race on Saturday.
Hamilton sits on pole, with Antonelli alongside on row 1, Verstappen and Leclerc on row 2, Rissell and Norris on row 3, Piastri and Isack Hadjar on row 4 and Lawson and Arvid Lindblad rounding out the top ten.
At the appointed time the field came around to the grid, the lights went out and the race started with Hamilton getting a good start and takes the lead into the first corner Verstappen and Leclerc slow off Noris gets into second later in the lap Antonelli is back to second, and Russell takes third.
On lap 2 Norris is up to third., Verstappen up to fourth past Russell.
On lap 3 Norris comes up to third past Verstappen.
On lap 5 Hamilton leads Antonelli by 1.0 second, followed by Norris (5.6s), Verstappen (6.2s), Russell (7.9s), Leclerc (8.4s), Piastri (9.0s), Pierre Gasly (11.3s), Lawson (11.6s), and Lindblad (12.0s) in tenth.
At half distance, on lap 7 Hamilton leads Antonelli by one seconds, followed by a 5 second gap.
On lap 8 Antonelli challenges, and passes Hamilton for the lead.
On lap 9 Verstappen and Russell are battling for fourth.
Russell passes Verstappen for fourth, and holds the position.
On lap 10 Leclerc passes Verstappen for fifth.
On lap 12 with 5 laps remaining, Antonelli leads Hamilton by 1.2 seconds.
On lap 13 Norris is in third, followed by Russell, Leclerc, Verstappen, Piastri, Lawson in eighth, Hadjar, Lindblad, Gasly, Franco Colapinto, Nico Hulkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Oliver Bearman in 15th.
On lap 15 Antonelli leads Hamilton by 1.6 seconds, followed by Norris (8.9s), Russell, Leclerc in fifth.
At the finish Antonelli wins ahead of Hamilton and Norris.