New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019m not a fan of going first for the last run,\u201d he said afterwards. \u201cI was a little bit stressed in the out-lap.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then just tried to focus on what I had to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Mercedes rightly predicted, there was never any risk. As he has done all weekend in England, Antonelli executed with error to turn provisional pole into his fifth grand prix pole position of the season, keeping Ferrari\u2019s Charles Leclerc at bay by 0.175 seconds, a margin that obscured the Italian\u2019s apparent invincibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very tidy lap,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a lap where I put everything together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe built our way through qualifying, and to bring the pole home is very satisfying.\u201d<\/p>\n
After an unpredictable Friday of Ferrari ascendancy and a chaotic Saturday sprint, Antonelli reasserted some authority on the weekend as championship leader. Order had been resumed.<\/p>\n
Another victory is in his grasp \u2014 and with both teammate George Russell and title contender Lewis Hamilton off the pace in Q3, he has a chance to restore some of his lost points lead from the last two weekends.<\/p>\n
RUSSELL MYSTIFIED BY ANOTHER BIG GAP TO ANTONELLI<\/p>\n
Russell started the weekend with wind in his sails from victory in Austria, but now the air around him is still.<\/p>\n
Another weekend, another easy beating by his junior teammate.<\/p>\n
The margin between the two drivers was a handsome 0.370 seconds at Russell\u2019s home event, the largest gap between Mercedes teammates since Antonelli\u2019s pole position in Monaco and the third largest of the season so far.<\/p>\n
Russell had been dejected after being defeated in sprint qualifying by a slightly smaller margin. On Saturday night he was left dejected and grasping for answers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was confused [by his pace] after qualifying yesterday, but looking at the data, we just realised I was losing all my speed in the straight,\u201d he said. \u201cYesterday it was a couple of tenths we lost on the straight.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought we found the issue this morning, but it turned out to be a bit of a bum read.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the same again now. Just looking at the speed trap, it\u2019s 6 kilometres per hour down in the last sector, 3 kilometres per hour down in the mid sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just to Kimi but to all Mercedes-powered cars. We don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team is working hard to understand what it is. For sure it makes it a bit frustrating.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt worries me going into [the race] tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sprint qualifying telemetry did show a confusing general lack of speed for Russell, but that same trend wasn\u2019t as evident in main qualifying.<\/p>\n
The minor speed differences early in the lap appear to be more about him having less confidence through Luffield \u2014 where he had a bizarre crash that almost had him out of qualifying in Q1 without a time \u2014 and then through Chapel, where his minimum speed is 12 kilometres per hour slower than Antonelli\u2019s with a bigger lift off the throttle.<\/p>\n
The same is true for the final chicane.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s clear that Russell is out of battery down the Hangar straight while Antonelli is still deploying. <\/p>\n
Russell is marginally ahead of Antonelli just before Chapel but then loses almost 0.4 seconds all the way to the finish line.<\/p>\n
If it\u2019s a car problem, it\u2019s in the configuration of the power unit in where it wants to charge and discharge.<\/p>\n
But the small differences in the way Russell tackles his lap could be their own explanation. These power units are extremely sensitive to unexpected inputs, particularly at a circuit like Silverstone, which is already so energy starved.<\/p>\n
Drivers have previously talked about how a small lift in the wrong place tricks the engine into charging or discharging unexpectedly.<\/p>\n
For better or worse \u2014 and you probably already have your opinion on that one \u2014 that\u2019s the challenge of Formula 1 in 2026.<\/p>\n
Despite being meaningfully down on Antonelli on only one of the straights, Russell denied deployment was to blame.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deployment looks okay,\u201d he added, per ESPN. \u201cI\u2019m just offset on speed in the straight.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just looks like I\u2019m running more of a draggier car. If you look at the speed trace of qualifying yesterday and you look at the speed traps from today, it\u2019s the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ahead of his home race, Russell is braced for damage limitation.<\/p>\n
Brown won’t rule out Verstappen move | 00:27<\/p>\n
PIASTRI RUES \u2018DANGEROUS\u2019 SPRINT RACING<\/p>\n
The new rules weren\u2019t hurting just Russell on Saturday; a handful of drivers were lamenting the way the 2026 engines have altered racing after the sprint earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
There was action aplenty in the short race, particularly in the opening stages, but it was of the sort never seen before in the history of the circuit that hosted the very first grand prix in 1950.<\/p>\n
The glut of passing was almost down to battery usage, with drivers charging and deploying seemingly at random to catch out their rivals.<\/p>\n
It was good news for Hamilton and Antonelli, who were able to clear off in a private for the lead, but Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen and Russell found themselves mired in an almost intractable battery battle.<\/p>\n
It was great for the highlights reel, but it wasn\u2019t to everyone\u2019s taste.<\/p>\n
\u201cLap 1 was just chaos with the energy usage,\u201d Oscar Piastri said, per Autosport.<\/p>\n
\u201c[It was] pretty dangerous at some points, to be honest, but that\u2019s what we\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter that, the following [other cars] was just very, very difficult in terms of staying on top of the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome things to look at, for sure, but at least we know what to expect tomorrow, which is chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, that\u2019s the challenge of F1 in 2026, and some will declare that it\u2019s created a positive spectacle despite the reduced skill in pressing a button and suddenly having in some cases hundreds of extra kilowatts on tap.<\/p>\n
Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion, said it was better than having no overtaking at all, likening it to the DRS system it replaced this year.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s certainly the opinion of the sport itself, especially when talking about circuits like Albert Park, where passing has been notoriously difficult for years.<\/p>\n
Silverstone Circuit, though, with its wide-open expanses and flow, has rarely struggled to generate a good spectacle. With battery assistance, it was taken to a new and, in the opinion of some, dangerous level.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very hard to work out what was going on in the car,\u201d Piastri added to Sky Sports. \u201c[I was] just trying to avoid crashing into the back of people most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sprint races have tended to be a glimpse of what to expect in the grand prix, though there\u2019s an argument to make that drivers and teams now have a much better understanding of the most effective places to dump their batteries and recharge, with the key overtaking zones established.<\/p>\n
Given the safety risks at what\u2019s already a high-speed and overtaking-friendly circuit, that wouldn\u2019t be a bad thing.<\/p>\n
\u2018IN A PICKLE\u2019: MCLAREN\u2019S PAINFUL TRUTH<\/p>\n
Piastri cut a generally unimpressed figure on Saturday in Silverstone. Despite teammate Norris\u2019s sprint podium \u2014 in equal parts thanks to a great start and then the chaotic battery racing behind him that gave him some mid-race breathing room \u2014 McLaren\u2019s backwards slide continued.<\/p>\n
It feels like it\u2019s been a long year since the team dominated the British Grand Prix with a one-two in 2025.<\/p>\n
Instead Norris qualified sixth and a whopping 0.766 seconds off the pace. Piastri was two places and 0.155 seconds further back, the gap between them entirely down to a small mistake from the Australian through Luffield, having been quicker than his teammate after their first laps of Q3.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Lacking] everywhere,\u201d Piastri lamented of his 2026 machine. \u201cJust incredibly tough.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe car has definitely been more challenging than we expected. We\u2019ve been struggling a lot with the balance of the car. We were pretty optimistic that we made a good step forward for qualifying, but unfortunately it didn\u2019t change much. We just struggling for grip overall.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact both Norris and Piastri were slower than they had been in sprint qualifying \u2014 the only drivers among the frontrunners bar Verstappen not to find time between days.<\/p>\n
Norris laid out the team\u2019s problems with brutal honesty.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty poor, really, in terms to gap to the cars ahead,\u201d he said. \u201cI think I got everything out of it; we\u2019re just slow.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a track where you need to be efficient. There are so many places here where you rely upon [low] drag because you\u2019re not in straight-line mode in certain places, and this is where we lose a lot.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso just in every straight \u2014 there\u2019s a lot of straights here.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd also in high speed \u2014 we\u2019re not very good in high speed \u2014 and we lose a lot in both that and slow speed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in a pickle.\u201d<\/p>\n
That would be everywhere, then.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis shows who has a good car and who doesn\u2019t, and it\u2019s clear that we don\u2019t,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
The team brought several upgrades to this weekend but has teased a bigger package for the upcoming races in Belgium and Hungary, the last before the break.<\/p>\n
It would have to be a remarkable improvement to return the team to title contention, but at this point respectability for the defending teams and drivers champions would be welcome.<\/p>\n
FERRARI, RED BULL RACING GET REALITY CHECKS<\/p>\n
Reality checks abound in Formula 1 these days, with every session offering some team or other a wake-up call of some description.<\/p>\n
Ferrari believes its defeat in the sprint and in qualifying was a reality check just hours in the making after having taken sprint pole on Friday evening.<\/p>\n
Hamilton could defy Antonelli for only eight laps until the Mercedes boosted past him decisively down the Hangar straight. Their duel had been interesting \u2014 these battery battles can be intriguing when there are only two drivers attempting to outwit each other \u2014 but it was clear quickly the Mercedes had the race pace.<\/p>\n
That Antonelli will start from pole, Hamilton thinks, makes it only less probable that the Italian\u2019s march towards victory can be halted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t [win] this morning, so I don\u2019t think that really changes,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd [Antonelli] has just gone way quicker than I went yesterday.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing\u2019s changed between this morning and nothing will change between today and tomorrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll do our best to hold on to them, but ultimately, if he gets a clean run, he\u2019ll be gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Ferrari could have a strategic advantage with two drivers in the race, particularly if Russell counts himself out of contention with ongoing straight-line speed problems.<\/p>\n
Unlike in Austria, where it was never really in the fight with Mercedes, two qualifying sessions and the sprint strongly suggest Ferrari is comfortably the second-quickest team. It should have nothing to lose from throwing everything at a shot at victory. A double podium might be the worst result it can return.<\/p>\n
Red Bull Racing\u2019s reality check was harsher.<\/p>\n
After having been in victory contention just last week, Verstappen slumped to seventh and 0.782 seconds off the pace.<\/p>\n
He was outqualified by teammate Isack Hadjar for just the second time this season, the Frenchman 0.147 seconds quicker in fifth.<\/p>\n
Verstappen complained of both a poorly balanced car and engine deployment problems. This comes after he said he was \u201cgetting destroyed\u201d by rival cars in the high-speed corners during the sprint.<\/p>\n
Though Hadjar has done what Red Bull Racing really wants him to do \u2014 get the most out of the car on the rare occasions Verstappen cannot \u2014 both will be battling just to beat McLaren to fifth place on Sunday.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not quite the follow-on the team was looking for after last weekend.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s the reality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andrea Kimi Antonelli didn\u2019t want to exit pit lane first at the end of Q3. Traditionally a disadvantage,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":779823,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[64,63,817,813,816,85],"class_list":["post-779822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=779822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779822\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/779823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=779822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=779822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=779822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n