Andrea Kimi Antonelli locked down pole position for the 2026 Formula 1 British Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver set a blistering 1:28.111 lap at Silverstone on Saturday, wrapping up a perfect day that started with a Sprint race victory. He successfully held off a late push from the Ferrari garage to secure the front row.
The timing could not be better for Mercedes. Charles Leclerc crossed the line second with a 1:28.286, falling just 0.175 seconds short. Lewis Hamilton slotted into third with a 1:28.458. That puts the second Mercedes directly behind Antonelli for Sunday’s grid.
But the session almost unraveled early. George Russell suffered a crash into the wall during Q1. The British driver managed to recover his damaged car and fought his way through the knockout stages. He eventually qualified fourth overall with a 1:28.481.
The final qualifying standings pushed McLaren’s Lando Norris down to sixth. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen struggled to find pace and took seventh.
This result ends a short grid drought for the Sprint winner. The Saturday performance marks Antonelli’s fifth pole position of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign. It is his first time starting from the very front since the Monaco Grand Prix last month.