Antonelli hunts down Hamilton to win Silverstone sprint & extend lead in F1 title fight

[p]Ferrari's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Hamilton[/a] started on pole but the ‌seven-time world champion had to settle for second place, 2.7 seconds behind, after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Antonelli[/a] used the Overtake Mode ‌to speed past on Hangar Straight - a move he made look as easy ‌as lapping a backmarker - on the eighth of 17 laps.[/p][p]In free air, Antonelli pulled away and ‌raced to the finish untroubled, with nothing Hamilton could do about it in ‌the time remaining.[/p][p][b]"In control all the way,"[/b] said Antonelli's race engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington over the team radio at the chequered flag as Antonelli became also the youngest ever sprint winner at 19 years old.[/p][embed guid="91ef37a7-fae3-4fff-a626-c365b9d3a785" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2073368975409303760" social-type="twitter" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Norris[/a] holds off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]Russell[/a] for third[/h2][p]McLaren's world champion Lando Norris finished ⁠third after starting from sixth place, making a ‌lightning getaway and then holding off a late challenge from Russell.[/p][p]Russell, who started the season as ​title favourite but has been eclipsed by his teammate as Antonelli racked up a stunning five wins in a row, finished fourth at a blustery ​Silverstone.[/p][p][b]"Tough race to keep the Mercedes behind,"[/b] said Hamilton after saluting the crowd.[/p][p][b]"I did say that was potentially the case yesterday and obviously with it being so windy today, ⁠a big, big headwind down the ​backstraight, he came flying past."[/b][/p][p]Saturday was the fourth sprint race of the season and Hamilton the first driver this year not to convert pole into victory in the 100km format.[/p][p]With a maximum eight points for a sprint win, Antonelli now has 179 points to Russell's 136 ‌with seven-time world champion Hamilton on 132.[/p][p][b]"It was a very fun first 10 laps with Lewis. We were both pushing very hard,"[/b] said Antonelli, who had missed out on pole by a mere 0.011 of a second and challenged Hamilton for the lead when they went side by side at the first corner.[/p][embed guid="f5890525-e61c-4e6a-a9bb-172fff4ca082" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2073370960145568202" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"Out of Turn Four I was very close, so I went alongside into Brooklands but he used the boost, so I decided to wait. Going into Stowe I used everything I had, then I was able to overtake."[/b][/p][p]Norris got ahead of Antonelli on the opening lap but the move ‌was short-lived with the Italian taking the place back and then waiting for the right ​moment to take Hamilton.[/p][p][b]"A good race and good fighting, especially the first few ‌laps with the Red Bull and with Mercedes,"[/b] said Norris, who had appeared to be unhappy with his team over the radio at one point when he urged them to "get it right for once".[/p][p]Ferrari's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]Charles Leclerc[/a] was fifth and Red Bull's four-time world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a] sixth after qualifying third.[/p][p]McLaren's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Oscar Piastri[/a] was ⁠seventh and Racing Bulls' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lawson-liam/nap8RjeO/"]Liam Lawson[/a] took ⁠the final point in eighth.[/p][p]Qualifying for ‌Sunday's main grand prix, the ninth round of the season, followed later.[/p]