Antonelli takes British Grand Prix pole ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position for the British Grand Prix with a commanding performance at Silverstone, outpacing both Ferrari drivers and his own teammate George Russell. The 19-year-old Italian, who had already won the sprint race earlier in the day, demonstrated exceptional pace around the challenging circuit.

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I was a bit stressed because I never really like going first for the last run but the last lap was very tidy. It came all together.

Antonelli's fastest lap was 0.175 seconds quicker than Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, securing the top spot. Lewis Hamilton qualified third in the other Ferrari, just ahead of Russell, who finished 0.370 seconds behind his young teammate. The qualifying session also saw Isack Hadjar in fifth, with Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Arvid Lindblad, and Liam Lawson completing the top 10.

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It was very tricky with the winds because it was very gusty, unpredictable, and to build the car to pole was very satisfying.

Antonelli expressed satisfaction with his pole position, noting the challenging windy conditions. "The last lap was very tidy. It came all together," he said. Leclerc, who qualified second, expressed pleasure at regaining his confidence after a few difficult races. Hamilton, while not satisfied with third, acknowledged the team's progress in closing the gap to Mercedes.

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I am pleased. It has been a few tough races when the feeling was not quite right, struggling to put everything together. There has been so much work behind the scenes to get back that feeling. This was the first time I had it back, I have struggled to be consistent but it is a good start.