Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes took victory in the British Grand Prix sprint race at Silverstone, overtaking Lewis Hamilton in a closely contested event. Antonelli described the first 10 laps as "very fun," with both drivers pushing hard before he made his decisive move.
"When I got alongside in Brooklands he used the boost and I decided to wait and then I got close and used everything," Antonelli said. Hamilton acknowledged the challenge of maintaining his position, noting the strong performance of Antonelli's Mercedes and the impact of wind conditions on the back straight.
Behind the leading pair, Lando Norris of McLaren had an impressive drive, climbing from sixth on the grid to fourth by the end of the first lap and then passing George Russell on the second lap. Norris eventually consolidated third place after a lively mid-race battle with Russell and Max Verstappen. "It was a very good race," Norris commented, expressing pleasant surprise with his performance and his strong start.
Russell managed to overtake Verstappen on lap nine, but the Red Bull driver later fell behind Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. Verstappen ultimately finished sixth, holding off Oscar Piastri of McLaren. The final points positions were secured by Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls, who defended against Isack Hadjar of Red Bull in the closing laps.
Qualifying for Sunday's main Grand Prix is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.