Hamilton stunned by Ferrari engine performance: 'I was like, is this real?'

Speaking to Sky Sports after qualifying, Hamilton admitted Ferrari's straight-line deficit had been far smaller than the team had expected heading into the weekend. The seven-time world champion revealed there had been concerns on Friday that Ferrari would be significantly down on Mercedes in terms of top speed, but was encouraged to find himself able to fight on equal terms in Sprint Qualifying.

Hamilton also reflected on Ferrari's progress compared to last season, explaining that the team had often felt stuck with little room for improvement. He credited the engineers for continuing to find performance through a steady stream of upgrades, adding that the constant development has transformed the car and left it feeling better than ever around Silverstone.

Antonelli was left with mixed emotions after Sprint Qualifying, admitting it was frustrating to miss out on pole by such a narrow margin after finishing just 0.011s behind Hamilton. The Mercedes driver revealed that he lacked confidence in the car during SQ1, but a small balance adjustment ahead of SQ2 completely changed its behaviour, allowing him to fight at the front for the remainder of the session. He also felt there was still a little more performance to extract from his final lap.

Looking ahead, the Italian acknowledged that Ferrari has made a significant step forward and expects Hamilton to be a formidable opponent, particularly given the Briton's current form. Even so, Antonelli remains confident heading into Saturday's Sprint, insisting he will be targeting victory despite anticipating a difficult race.