Hamilton: 'I love this track,' calls Silverstone pole for sprint 'special'

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed his elation after securing pole position for the sprint race at the British Grand Prix, calling it a "special feeling" at his beloved Silverstone circuit.

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It's always special to come back to a track I love so much, so to have taken pole here is a really special feeling.

"It's always special to come back to a track I love so much, so to have taken pole here is a really special feeling," said the 41-year-old British driver, who holds the record for most wins and poles at the circuit. Hamilton thanked his team and the fans for their support, suggesting the home crowd's energy provided him with the crucial extra pace.

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I want to thank everyone in the team for the work they have done today and all the fans in the stands. Your support is something else.

Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, admitted that the team did not expect to be so competitive at Silverstone. He noted that their pace in long runs also appeared solid, though he anticipates a challenging sprint race due to the tight competition among the frontrunners.

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Looking at the difference compared to Kimi (Antonelli), I want to think it was the energy of the crowd that gave me that extra tenth.

"We didn't expect to be so competitive here, so credit to everyone in the team. We are progressing and our pace in long runs also looked solid, although tomorrow will be a real challenge as we are all very close together," Hamilton stated.

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We didn't expect to be so competitive here, so credit to everyone in the team. We are progressing and our pace in long runs also looked solid, although tomorrow will be a real challenge as we are all very close together.