(Credit: X/Formula 1)
Northamptonshire, July 4 (IANS) Teenager Kimi Antonelli produced another statement drive to win a dramatic sprint race at the British Grand Prix on Saturday, overtaking Lewis Hamilton before pulling clear to strengthen his grip on the Formula One drivers' championship, here at the Silverstone.
The 19-year-old Italian kept his cool during a hectic start at Silverstone. He used a smart burst of speed to pass Hamilton's Ferrari on the Hangar Straight on lap eight. After carefully saving his battery charge, Antonelli made his move with precision and never looked back. He secured victory and widened his championship lead to 43 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell.
While Antonelli focused on catching Hamilton, the fight behind them delivered plenty of early excitement. McLaren's Lando Norris, Mercedes' George Russell, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen swapped positions multiple times during the opening laps. Starting in sixth, Norris had a great start and climbed to fourth on the first lap before passing Russell on lap two. The trio continued to change places until Norris finally settled into third and began to pull away from the pack.
Russell eventually regained the upper hand over Verstappen on lap nine. Verstappen soon faced more pressure from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who passed the Red Bull a lap later to take fifth place. Unable to respond, Verstappen fell further behind but managed to defend sixth from McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the closing laps.
Further back, Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson withstood late pressure from Red Bull's Isack Hadjar to secure the final points position.
Antonelli's calm victory marked another highlight in his impressive debut season. The Mercedes driver showed maturity beyond his years by beating seven-time world champion Hamilton, making another significant move toward his first Formula One title.
Qualifying for the British Grand Prix will start at 7:30 PM IST.
