Antonelli wins British sprint, extends F1 lead over Russell and Hamilton

Kimi Antonelli seized a commanding victory in the British Grand Prix sprint race on Saturday, marking his first career sprint win and extending his Formula 1 championship lead. The 19-year-old sensation, driving for Mercedes, overtook home favorite Lewis Hamilton on the eighth lap and never looked back, finishing a comfortable 2.7 seconds ahead.

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In control all the way

Antonelli's dominant performance saw him become the youngest ever sprint race winner at just 19 years old. His race engineer, Peter Bonnington, hailed the win over the team radio, stating Antonelli was "in control all the way." This victory further solidifies Antonelli's position at the top of the standings, now holding a 43-point lead over his Mercedes teammate George Russell.

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Tough race to keep the Mercedes behind

Ferrari's Hamilton, who started on pole, had to settle for second place, unable to counter Antonelli's pace. McLaren's Lando Norris secured third, holding off a late challenge from Russell, who finished fourth. The sprint race, the fourth of the season, saw Hamilton unable to convert pole position into victory for the first time this year.

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I did say that was potentially the case yesterday and obviously with it being so windy today, a big, big headwind down the back straight, he came flying past.

Antonelli's impressive run of form includes five consecutive grand prix wins. He currently leads the championship with 179 points, followed by Russell with 136 and Hamilton with 132. The qualifying session for Sunday's main grand prix, the ninth round of the season, was scheduled to take place later.

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It was a very fun first 10 laps with Lewis. We were both pushing very hard.