Antonelli on pole as Hamilton and Russell trail at Silverstone ahead of British Grand Prix

Antonelli secures pole as Hamilton and Russell start behind team-mates at Silverstone

What happened, where, who said it, when and main result: Kimi Antonelli claimed pole position at Silverstone on Saturday, the Ferrari driver announced after qualifying that he will start Sunday’s British Grand Prix on pole, ahead of Charles Leclerc’s team-mate and with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both lining up behind their team-mates; the key outcome is that Mercedes’ title leader Antonelli leads the grid and is favoured to extend his advantage at the race on Sunday at 15:00 BST.

Around 180,000 spectators are expected at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, reflecting strong public interest and the significance of a home race for British drivers, according to race coverage and team comments made during the weekend.

Hamilton, who had already lost Saturday’s sprint to Antonelli, started the sprint from pole and led the first nine laps but was overtaken on the Hangar Straight at Stowe corner as Antonelli closed and passed decisively.

Hamilton described his feelings after the sprint, saying the Mercedes felt better on Friday but in the sprint he struggled with braking instability and locking, and that if Antonelli is able to get a clear run at the start of the grand prix he believes the Ferrari will quickly pull away.

Russell qualified 0.370 seconds slower than Antonelli and noted a lack of straight-line speed compared with other Mercedes-powered cars, leaving him behind his team-mate on the grid despite recent form including a win in Austria.

Antonelli, who last took pole at Monaco in early June, said the Silverstone weekend was special because of the crowd and the positive energy from fans, adding that more than half a million people were attending over the weekend.

McLaren remain off the pace at Silverstone, with Lando Norris starting sixth and describing the car as inefficient both in straight-line speed and in corners, saying the team are “in a bit of a pickle” as they struggle with downforce and excess drag.

Team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged a 0.3-0.4 second pace deficit and greater sensitivity to gusty conditions for McLaren, and said upgrades are scheduled to begin at the Hungarian Grand Prix and continue after the summer break to address a development delay dating from last season.

Stella also noted McLaren’s challenges in optimising the Mercedes engine and that they are awaiting a potential engine-specification upgrade; he said discussions with Mercedes continue to understand straight-line performance differences.

The British Grand Prix will start at 15:00 BST on Sunday with live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and live text updates on the BBC Sport website and app.