By Alan Baldwin
SILVERSTONE, England, July 4 (Reuters) – Kimi Antonelli blasted past home favourite Lewis Hamilton to take a first career sprint win at the British Grand Prix on Saturday and forge 43 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell in the Formula One standings.
Ferrari’s Hamilton started on pole but the seven times world champion had to settle for second place, 2.7 seconds behind, after Antonelli used the Overtake Mode to speed past on Hangar Straight — a move he made look as easy as lapping a backmarker — on the eighth of 17 laps.
In free air, Antonelli pulled away and raced to the finish untroubled, with nothing Hamilton could do about it in the time remaining.
“In control all the way,” said Antonelli’s race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington over the team radio at the chequered flag as Antonelli became also the youngest ever sprint winner at 19 years old.
NORRIS HOLDS OFF RUSSELL FOR THIRD
McLaren’s world champion Lando Norris finished third after starting from sixth place, making a lightning getaway and then holding off a late challenge from Russell.
Russell, who started the season as title favourite but has been eclipsed by his teammate as Antonelli racked up a stunning five wins in a row, finished fourth at a blustery Silverstone.
“Tough race to keep the Mercedes behind,” said Hamilton after saluting the crowd.
“I did say that was potentially the case yesterday and obviously with it being so windy today, a big, big headwind down the backstraight, he came flying past.”
Saturday was the fourth sprint race of the season and Hamilton the first driver this year not to convert pole into victory in the 100km format.
With a maximum eight points for a sprint win, Antonelli now has 179 points to Russell’s 136 with seven times world champion Hamilton on 132.
“It was a very fun first 10 laps with Lewis. We were both pushing very hard,” said Antonelli, who had missed out on pole by a mere 0.011 of a second and challenged Hamilton for the lead when they went side by side at the first corner.
“Out of Turn Four I was very close, so I went alongside into Brooklands but he used the boost, so I decided to wait. Going into Stowe I used everything I had, then I was able to overtake.”
Norris got ahead of Antonelli on the opening lap but the move was short-lived with the Italian taking the place back and then waiting for the right moment to take Hamilton.
“A good race and good fighting, especially the first few laps with the Red Bull and with Mercedes,” said Norris, who had appeared to be unhappy with his team over the radio at one point when he urged them to “get it right for once”.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fifth and Red Bull’s four times world champion Max Verstappen sixth after qualifying third.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was seventh and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson took the final point in eighth.
Qualifying for Sunday’s main grand prix, the ninth round of the season, followed later.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Toby Chopra)
