Antonelli pinpoints crucial Hamilton mistake during British GP Sprint battle
Photo: Race Pictures
15:04, 04 Jul
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Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Kimi Antonelli has credited a mistake from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton as a key factor in their battle for British GP Sprint victory - the young Mercedes driver blasted past the seven-time world champion on the Hangar Straight on Lap 8 on his way to the win.
Lining up behind Hamilton on the front row, Antonelli has extended his championship lead at the top of the standings. Once ahead of the Ferrari driver, the 19-year-old could not be stopped - finishing 2.7s ahead of the Briton.
Reflecting on his Sprint win at a Silverstone circuit full of action, and where energy usage appeared more critical than ever, Antonelli told media, including GPblog: "It was a fun race, it was pretty flat out. I had a good start, but then I couldn't quite get the momentum into Turn 1, I wasn't alongside enough, but then I was able to keep up with Lewis and once I got into that overtake, I started to close the gap more and more."
"Yeah, and then made the move and then obviously a bit more free air and tried to to pull away. It was a fun race and, very flat out and I enjoyed it."
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Antonelli highlights Hamilton 'mistake' during British GP Sprint
Photo: Race Pictures
Focusing further on his experience in the cockpit as he battled for the lead with Hamilton on Lap 8, Antonelli suggested the former Mercedes man made a mistake. He said: "Obviously I got a good run out of [Turn] 4, he went a bit wide and, and I think he used boost to defend, and I just waited, and then I used it out of 13. I used everything I had and made the move."
Hamilton, when asked later on whether he recalled making a mistake in his battle with the young Mercedes sensation, instead focused on the difference in battery levels between the pair - unable to remember if he had in fact made an error.
He said: "I don't remember… I mean it was quite tricky through 3 and 4, he was generally a bit quicker than me, particularly through 3, But, yeah, he was just getting closer and closer to me, so yeah, I don't really remember to be honest. Coming out of 13, I didn't have anything left."
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Russell is under serious pressure - and the F1 grid knows it
Photo: Race Pictures
George Russell's poor form behind his Mercedes teammate Antonelli was another topic of discussion at the post-Sprint press conference, with the Italian refusing to give his 28-year-old teammate any advice.
“I don't really want to answer this. I don't like talking about others, to be fair, others' performance. I just focus on myself, but George is very strong, and for sure he's going to be back at his form.
"Especially in qualifying, he's always a very good qualifier, he's always able to extract the maximum out of it, so, yeah, I think he’s a very strong driver and. For sure, every driver has their moments and on my side, I just need to keep focusing on myself.”
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British Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 03.07.26
Practice 1
11:30 AM
Sprint Qualification
03:30 PM
Saturday 04.07.26
Sprint Race
11:00 AM
Qualification
03:00 PM
Sunday 05.07.26
Race
02:00 PM
Friday 03.07.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Sprint Qualification
Fri 03:30 PM
Saturday 04.07.26
Sprint Race
Sat 11:00 AM
Qualification
Sat 03:00 PM
Sunday 05.07.26
Race
Sun 02:00 PM
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 179 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 136 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 132 | |
4 | McLarenMCL | 85 | |
5 | FerrariFER | 83 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 82 | |
7 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 76 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 42 | |
9 | AlpineALP | 41 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 31 |
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