2026 British GP Sprint Qualifying Results
Every car frozen on the finish line, with each gap to Lewis Hamilton’s pole shown to scale in real metres. Sprint Qualifying at Silverstone, round 9.
Open the interactive 3D Gap Visualizer →British Grand Prix 2026 Sprint Qualifying: what happened
Lewis Hamilton took pole for the British Grand Prix 2026 Sprint Qualifying with a 1:28.376 for Ferrari at Silverstone. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) was 0.011s behind, and at racing speed that is 0.91 m of track between them as they crossed the line.
Max Verstappen completed the top three for Red Bull Racing, 0.321s off Lewis Hamilton. Across the whole classified order the field spread out to 381.8 m, from Lewis Hamilton to Lance Stroll.
The closest call of the session was between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc: 0.006s apart, about 0.50 m at speed.
| # | Driver | Team | Lap time | Gap | Behind (to scale) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:28.376 | Pole | — |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:28.387 | +0.011 | 0.91 m |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:28.697 | +0.321 | 26.6 m |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.703 | +0.327 | 27.1 m |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:28.733 | +0.357 | 29.6 m |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:28.740 | +0.364 | 30.1 m |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:28.772 | +0.396 | 32.8 m |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 1:28.835 | +0.459 | 38.0 m |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:28.927 | +0.551 | 45.6 m |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:29.367 | +0.991 | 82.0 m |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:29.482 | +1.106 | 91.6 m |
| 12 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:29.679 | +1.303 | 107.9 m |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:29.707 | +1.331 | 110.2 m |
| 14 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:29.983 | +1.607 | 133.0 m |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:30.197 | +1.821 | 150.7 m |
| 16 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:30.650 | +2.274 | 188.2 m |
| 17 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:31.083 | +2.707 | 224.1 m |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:31.714 | +3.338 | 276.3 m |
| 19 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:31.776 | +3.400 | 281.4 m |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:32.020 | +3.644 | 301.6 m |
| 21 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:32.910 | +4.534 | 375.3 m |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:32.988 | +4.612 | 381.8 m |
How big is the gap, really?
Lewis Hamilton took sprint qualifying pole at the British Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:28.376. On the timesheet the field looks bunched into tenths, but at racing speed those tenths stretch out: from pole to Lance Stroll the field covers 381.8 m. Open the 3D visualizer to see it to scale, car by car.
British Grand Prix 2026 Sprint Qualifying: your questions
- Who took pole at the British Grand Prix 2026?
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) took pole at the British Grand Prix 2026 sprint qualifying with a 1:28.376 at Silverstone.
- How close was sprint qualifying at the British Grand Prix 2026?
- Lewis Hamilton beat Kimi Antonelli to pole by 0.011s. At racing speed that margin is 0.91 m of track. Across the whole field, from pole to Lance Stroll in P22, the spread is 4.612s or 381.8 m.
- How far behind was Kimi Antonelli at the British Grand Prix 2026?
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) qualified P2 in sprint qualifying at the British Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:28.387, 0.011s behind Lewis Hamilton's pole. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 0.91 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Max Verstappen at the British Grand Prix 2026?
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) qualified P3 in sprint qualifying at the British Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:28.697, 0.321s behind Lewis Hamilton's pole. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 26.6 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Charles Leclerc at the British Grand Prix 2026?
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) qualified P4 in sprint qualifying at the British Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:28.703, 0.327s behind Lewis Hamilton's pole. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 27.1 m of track behind.
- How far behind was George Russell at the British Grand Prix 2026?
- George Russell (Mercedes) qualified P5 in sprint qualifying at the British Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:28.733, 0.357s behind Lewis Hamilton's pole. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 29.6 m of track behind.
- How far behind was Lando Norris at the British Grand Prix 2026?
- Lando Norris (McLaren) qualified P6 in sprint qualifying at the British Grand Prix 2026 with a 1:28.740, 0.364s behind Lewis Hamilton's pole. Converted to distance at racing speed, that is 30.1 m of track behind.
- How much is a tenth of a second in metres at Silverstone?
- On this lap a tenth of a second is worth roughly 8.3 m of track. That is why Kimi Antonelli's 0.011s at the British Grand Prix 2026 puts 0.91 m between the cars on the finish line.