Verstappen admits Hamilton and Antonelli were too 'quick' at Silverstone

The four-time world champion initially looked to be on the back foot in SQ1, where teammate Isack Hadjar outpaced him. However, Verstappen found more pace as the session progressed and ultimately secured third on the grid with a superb final lap, edging Charles Leclerc by just six thousandths of a second.

Speaking after qualifying, Verstappen admitted Red Bull was fortunate to come away with third, saying the final result could just as easily have been sixth or seventh given how close the field was. He also acknowledged that the team is still not where it wants to be, highlighting cornering performance and energy deployment as the main areas requiring improvement before the remainder of the weekend.

Verstappen finally admitted that Hamilton and Antonelli had been in a league of their own during Sprint Qualifying, adding that if they were that quick over a single lap, their teammates were also likely to be strong once race pace came into play. As a result, the Dutchman expects his main fight in Saturday's Sprint to be with the drivers starting behind him rather than those ahead.

Speaking after securing Sprint pole, Hamilton described the result as a special moment, admitting that racing at Silverstone continues to feel like a dream thanks to his connection with the circuit and the home fans. The Ferrari driver praised the team's work both at the track and back at the factory, highlighting the constant stream of updates and thanking everyone involved for helping produce a car capable of fighting at the front. He also underlined how incredibly tight the battle had been, with just 0.011s separating him from Antonelli.

The seven-time world champion also took satisfaction from finishing ahead of both Mercedes and Red Bull, acknowledging the strength both teams have shown throughout the season. At the same time, he stressed that Ferrari would not ease off its development effort, before admitting that neither he nor the team had expected to be fighting for the front row at Silverstone, making the Sprint pole an even sweeter surprise.