The China Mail - Hamilton beats Antonelli to British GP sprint pole with supreme lap

The seven-time world champion, enjoying a memorable day at his home event where he has won a record nine times in the British Grand Prix, clocked a best lap in one minute and 28.376 seconds.

It was enough to secure pole ahead of the 19-year-old championship leader with four-time champion Max Verstappen snatching third for Red Bull ahead of Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari and George Russell in the second Mercedes.

World champion Lando Norris was sixth ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull and the two Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad.

"Wow!" said Hamilton, who was fastest in practice and throughout the qualifying session.

"I like it. I love this place and this crowd and I just can't express how big a dream it is here to have the flow if you get the set-up right and the team is behind you.

"The car feels really great and I am grateful to the team for this pole. It's an amazing surprise. I really did not expect this. The team deserves it and I don’t remember my last front row start here."

This was Hamilton’s second sprint pole. He last started from the front row two years ago – before winning the Grand Prix.

As he had in practice earlier, Hamilton was out early for SQ1 and soon led the times for Ferrari whose sparkling earlier speed had ruffled their rivals with Mercedes questioning how the Italian team had improved their package so much.

This resulted in team chief Fred Vasseur launching an angry response to suggestions made by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after the Austrian Grand Prix, won by Russell, that Ferrari were cheating.

Wolff had said "we are little surprised that Ferrari can throw these huge updates at their car in the way they do". He added that the Italians would be "running out of cost cap money soon".

Vasseur hit back saying: "I find it quite ironic coming from Toto and Mercedes. When Red Bull is developing, or when Mercedes is developing, they are a genius. When we are developing, we are cheating.

"I think you have to calm down with this. We didn't bring more parts than Red Bull or any other."

- Cooler conditions -

On track, Ferrari relished the cooler conditions after over-heating problems in Austria last Sunday and their updated engine delivered pure performance with Hamilton and Leclerc topping the SQ1 times.

The session ended with the usual suspects taking an early exit –- both Haas cars along with the two Cadillacs and both Aston Martins, an unhappy scenario again for two-time champion Fernando Alonso down in 21st place.

SQ2 began with Verstappen on top in 1:29.242 before Hamilton with 1:28.747 took over to wind up 0.099 ahead of Antonelli by a tenth with Leclerc third and Piastri fourth in the leading McLaren.

Russell joined the fray, but he was seven-tenths off the pace in seventh, at the flag, while Norris squeezed through ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

Out this time went Gasly along with both Audis, Franco Colapinto in the second Alpine and the two Williams.

The SQ3 shootout, with softs replacing mediums, began with Piastri clocking 1:28.772 to set the pace before Norris, Antonelli and then Hamilton delivered fastest laps, the Ferrari man beating the Mercedes youngster to earn a standing ovation from the crowd.

Earlier Vasseur quelled speculation on Hamilton's future confirming that the 41-year-old British driver would stay with Ferrari next year.

"Last year, I underestimated the scale of the transition from Mercedes to Ferrari," Vasseur told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera. "Everything was new to him and Lewis isn't one of those drivers who moves team every two, three years."

Asked if he could confirm Hamilton for Ferrari in 2027, Vasseur said: "Yes."

"He knows the tools, the people and our approach now," said Vasseur. "And with these good results, he's entered a virtuous circle."

L.Johnson--ThChM