Hamilton over the moon after home Sprint pole: 'This is an amazing surprise!'

The Brit edged out Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011s with his final flying lap in SQ3. He also once again got the better of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who ended up fourth after finishing three tenths off Hamilton's pace and behind Max Verstappen.

Speaking after qualifying, Hamilton admitted that taking Sprint pole at Silverstone meant a great deal to him, describing the circuit as one he loves and calling it a dream to once again deliver in front of the home crowd. He praised the feeling of driving the track when the car is in the right window and thanked both the team at the circuit and everyone back at the factory for their relentless work on bringing updates every weekend.

The seven-time world champion also highlighted just how close the battle had been, pointing out to the tiny gap that separated him from Antonelli, before saying the entire team deserved the result and expressing his gratitude for everyone's efforts.

Hamilton finally admitted that beating both a Mercedes and a Red Bull made the result even more satisfying, praising the pace both teams have shown throughout the season and particularly over the Silverstone weekend. He also credited Ferrari for continuing to push hard with development, adding that neither he nor the team had expected to be fighting on the front row heading into the weekend, making the Sprint pole an even bigger surprise.