Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Sprint victory at Silverstone on Saturday, July 4, 2026, by overtaking Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton on the eighth lap.
The 19-year-old dropped to third on the opening lap behind McLaren's Lando Norris but quickly reclaimed second and chased down pole-setter Hamilton.
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Antonelli used his vehicle's Boost function at Stowe corner to take the lead, extending his championship advantage over teammate George Russell to 43 points with a total of 179 points.
Reflecting on the 100km race, Antonelli described the strategic patience needed to overcome the multi-time world champion.
"It was a very fun first 10 laps with Lewis. We were both pushing very hard.
Once I got into Overtake mode, I knew my chance was coming," said Antonelli.
The Italian explained how he managed his energy deployment, waiting for the optimal moment after an initial attempt at Brooklands was blocked.
"Out of Turn 4, I got very close alongside into Brooklands, but he used the Boost, so I decided to wait.
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Then, going into Stowe, I used everything I had and was able to overtake.
From that point on, I just got into my rhythm, tried to stay out of his Overtake range, and bring the car home," Antonelli said.
Despite the victory, the championship leader expressed caution about the threat from rivals and his teammate.
"The momentum is definitely there, and we're doing a great job together with the team," Antonelli said.
"But we can't let our guard down because Lewis and Ferrari are doing an incredible job."
According to formula1. com, several teams are closing the performance gap at the front.
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"Red Bull and McLaren are coming, and George is also super quick. We just need to keep raising the bar and continue delivering strong performances," Antonelli added.
