Much as Kimi Antonelli said he admired the British Grand Prix, its challenge and sporting spectacle, the Italian was in absolutely no mood to give a British driver so much as a sniff of a chance of enjoying a day in the sun as he swept to a majestic pole position for Sunday’s race.
Were will alone enough, the huge crowd at the old airfield would surely have powered Lewis Hamilton into the top spot, but their vocal support was not enough. Antonelli took his first pole here with the type of precision driving and commitment required on the high-speed blast that rewards drivers who can find the very edge. He did so with an authority and almost unconscious ease that unsurprisingly left his rivals a little deflated.
The competition was tight and intense so Antonelli was pushed hard, but on the final runs he found a level that could not be matched. The 19-year-old, who leads the world championship and won the sprint race on Saturday morning, had almost two-tenths on Charles Leclerc in second and three-tenths on Hamilton in third, no small margins. His Mercedes teammate, George Russell, in the same machinery, was fourth, nearly four-tenths back.
“This weekend is probably one of the most special, alongside Monza, because the crowd is amazing,” said Antonelli. “It’s incredible to see how much support there is for everyone. For Lewis in particular, but he’s kind of the legend here.
“No, he is the legend here. The crowd gives you such a positive energy. To see people wait such a long time just to see you and to maybe get an autograph or a picture, it’s incredible. It’s such a positive energy that makes the weekend so special. It’s crazy that more than half a million people are coming.”
He was beaming, as well he might. After his victory over Hamilton in the sprint race, and with Russell in fourth, Antonelli has increased his lead in the world championship over Russell to 43 points and Hamilton by 47.
Hamilton, disappointed and with a something of a resigned air, revealed he had a problem with his energy deployment and understeer and that the second row was as much as he could have expected. Nor was he particularly optimistic for Ferrari’s chances on Sunday. He had been chased down and easily passed by Antonelli in the sprint race and was well aware that with similar race pace on Sunday, if Antonelli is away cleanly he will probably be untouchable.
Antonelli and Mercedes demonstrated once more that their early season form as the leaders of the pack remains intact despite the swathe of upgrades every team has now employed. It ensured Mercedes remain unbeaten this season in qualifying despite Ferrari’s early pace over the weekend.
Antonelli was as confident and assured as he has been this season for his fifth pole from nine races, once again demonstrating he is the favourite for the title. He has five wins and every chance to convert it to another.
Russell will be disappointed by fourth and had already made hard work of it when he went off during Q1. Heading into Luffield, he locked up, went straight on and careered across the gravel to take a glancing blow against the wall. He did manage to return to the pits, but with damage to the front of the car.
He was mystified as to what had happened in a highly unusual incident. “That was very weird. I’ve never locked up there in my whole career,” he said.
He went out again after repairs and was able to continue to make it through the session, but said he was suffering from a straight-line speed deficit, something he could not explain.
McLaren, too, have not enjoyed the most productive time at their home race. For their final quick runs in Q3, they were struggling for grip and looked a handful to drive. They were out early, but not near the pace of the Mercedes and Ferrari.
Leclerc took the top spot and was promptly pipped by Hamilton, until the Mercedes pair proved to have the edge, Antonelli from Russell by nine-hundredths of a second and two-tenths up on Hamilton in third.
The last quick laps were set up for a gripping showdown, with Hamilton knowing he could go quicker, having lost a fraction correcting a minor slide at Village. Antonelli went out first, which vexed him and he questioned the team as to their rationale, while Hamilton went out last, seeking to benefit from the track evolution.
Antonelli’s concerns proved unfounded as he did improve in the middle and final sectors, showing huge commitment, and was two-tenths quicker on his opening time. Leclerc, too, improved, but Hamilton could not, three-tenths back on Antonelli’s pole time of 1min 28.111sec, with Russell relegated to fourth.
Antonelli’s first Silverstone pole was not a crowd pleaser, but it was a performance that suggested more will surely follow.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could manage only sixth and eighth for McLaren, with the four-time champion, Max Verstappen, in seventh for Red Bull.
