Mercedes’s Kimi Antonelli won the sprint race before the British Grand Prix after a feisty scrap with Lewis Hamilton who had led for the opening half of the short-form race at Silverstone.
Lando Norris claimed third for McLaren with Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell in fourth.
In what was a frenetic and action-packed dash at the old airfield, Hamilton had led from pole as the crowd roared him round the track only to ultimately succumb to the superior pace of the Mercedes engine against which he was powerless to resist when Antonelli came at him but still put in a sterling effort to secure second place.
It is the Italian’s first F1 sprint win and another demonstration of his burgeoning talent in every aspect of his craft this season, only his second in the sport in which he has taken five wins already. He had been narrowly beaten to pole by Hamilton but even over the short-form race showed great verve and determination to secure victory.
It means Antonelli has extended his advantage in the title race, and now leads the world championship from Russell by 43 points and Hamilton by 47.
Hamilton vied with Antonelli off the start but the Briton held his place with decisive control as Norris moved up to third. The McLaren driver had real pace and took Antonelli’s place only for the Italian to claim it back on the same lap. Norris was angry with his team at the close, suggesting he felt they had misjudged his energy deployment strategy.
Nonetheless the Mercedes was strong clearly, with Russell moving up to third from fifth on the grid but Norris was in the mood for a fight and duly came back at the Mercedes to reclaim the place.
The action was frenetic but Hamilton was making hay out front in the clean air, maintaining a one-second advantage on Antonelli, with the pair opening a full five seconds on the chasing pack.
Antonelli was keeping the seven-time champion honest and around the mid-point began to climb all over the back of the Ferrari. He was within three-tenths by lap seven, the pair running line astern as Hamilton was forced onto the defensive against the superior pace of the Mercedes. The veteran used all his guile but was ultimately powerless, as the Italian swept past on the Hangar Straight on lap nine.
Russell, too, managed to exploit the Mercedes power, breezing past Max Verstappen for fourth on lap 10.
Antonelli, as he has done repeatedly this season, immediately began to open a lead from Hamilton who had feared his Ferrari’s power deficit would be exposed against the Mercedes, as it was to the heartbreak of the crowd who had hoped their man might open the weekend with a win. Antonelli duly closed out with ruthless precision and a two-and-a-half-second lead at the flag.
Nonetheless Hamilton will be buoyed by the pace Ferrari showed and a second place that was hard fought and deserved.
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