Formula 1 heads to Great Britain this weekend for round nine of the 2026 F1 season with five British drivers on the grid and all aiming to impress.
George Russell wants to follow up his victory in Austria with a strong showing as he still trails his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers’ standings.
But, it was Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who has won a record nine times around Silverstone, that topped the table following the first practice session and perhaps provides the closest challenge to the two Mercedes.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, Haas’ Ollie Bearman and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad complete the line-up of British drivers who will all be aiming to collect points across this sprint weekend. This afternoon’s action sees the teams battle for pole position ahead of tomorrow’s sprint race, can Hamilton secure pole?
Follow the British Grand Prix with The Independent.
F1 BRITISH GP - LATEST UPDATES
- Round nine of the 2026 F1 season takes place in Great Britain
- Sprint qualifying is at 4.30pm BST
- Lewis Hamilton goes fastest in free practice ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc
- Five British drivers on the grid including Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris
- Antonelli leads standings by 40 points ahead of Mercedes teammate Russell
- Sprint race takes place on Saturday afternoon ahead of qualifying
A final word from Hamilton
14:40 , Mike Jones
Lewis Hamilton admitted he wasn’t thinking about winning the trophy at Silverstone but rather executing his skills as best he can.
“My engineers have been asking me, how did you do it, what did you do, and how do you normally run the car here, so I hope that I've steered them in the right direction,” said Hamilton. “But we only have one practice session, so it's going to be definitely a challenge throughout.
“I'm really not thinking about the trophy. I don't think any of the drivers actually think about it. You think about just obviously executing the best you can through the weekend, trying to bring the right energy, absorbing the amazing energy that we have here from all the fans.
“I think Nigel [Mansell] said it best – on your home turf you get that extra bit of speed coming from the energy from the fans, so I'm hoping that propels us and helps us close the gaps to those guys that are ahead.”
Lewis Hamilton puts the block on racing LEGO car before British Grand Prix
14:30 , Mike Jones
Lewis Hamilton has warned Formula One bosses that he will not take part in a ‘LEGO race’ ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
The Press Association understands that Hamilton, along with some of the sport’s other stars, have financial reservations about appearing in the sponsors’ race – although the seven-time world champion was the sole driver to indicate he might not take part.
Lewis Hamilton puts the block on racing LEGO car before British Grand Prix
Is Hamilton confident for British GP?
14:20 , Mike Jones
“It's not that I'm not confident, it's the fact that we've got long straights,” admitted Lewis Hamilton.
“I think this is going to be the most unprecedented weekend in terms of the power deployment.”
Hamilton reflects on Austria GP
14:10 , Mike Jones
Lewis Hamilton followed up his win in Barcelona with a fifth place finish in Austria.
Speaking of the last GP he reflected: “Obviously we had some great performances before, but the fact is, as you can see in the race, we lose quite a lot of time – I think it's like four tenths of a lap we lose in a straight line, so it's hard to recover that through corners,
“I think we've got a great car, fundamentally. We've just got to continue to work until we maximise what we can and get the best results we can, and score as many points as we can until we can close that deficit.”
Meet the new George Russell – the F1 title favourite ready to become a champion
14:00 , Mike Jones
Beyond the months of paddock mumbling and opaque pre-season testing statistics, perhaps the most pertinent evidence of Mercedes’ confidence ahead of the new Formula 1 season came with a strut and a swagger at a team “kick-off” event early on Thursday morning in Melbourne.
Hosted at Mercedes’s shiny AMG Lounge on the outside of turn 10 at Albert Park, 19-year-old driver Kimi Antonelli smiled and shook hands with the media gathered. And George Russell, in year five at the Silver Arrows and his second as de facto team leader, was equanimity personified as he shrugged off suggestions of “pressure” as this year’s F1 title favourite.
Meet the new George Russell – the F1 title favourite ready to become a champion
Sprint qualifying up next
13:52 , Mike Jones
The action will continue in a little while as the teams head back onto track for the sprint race qualifying.
There are points up from grabs in tomorrow’s sprint so the next session will reveal more about the cars and who is in contention to compete on Sunday.
Can Hamilton’s pace from practice translate into a pole position for the sprint?
Free practice leaderboard
13:45 , Mike Jones
And this is how the rest of the leaderboard looked:
11. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
12. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
13. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
14. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
15. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
17. Alex Albon (Williams)
18. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
19. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
20. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
21. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
22. Lance Stroll. (Aston Martin)
Free practice top 10
13:43 , Mike Jones
Here’s the results of the first practice session at the British Grand Prix.
A great result for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton.
1. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 1:29.260
2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.213
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.599
4. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.678
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.887
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.980
7. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.028
8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +1.078
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +1.483
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1.590
End of session
13:32 , Mike Jones
The chequered flag has been waved and the remaining cars on track are coming in to end their final laps.
None of Russell, Antonelli or Leclerc can beat Hamilton’s time so it’s the nine-time British Grand Prix winner who tops the table after practice!
A sign of things to come perhaps?
Antonelli v Hamilton
13:28 , Mike Jones
Kimi Antonelli has been quicker than Lewis Hamilton in each of the first two sectors during this session but Hamilton has the edge on sector three and by a larger margin.
It could be an interesting race come Sunday if this develops into a battle between the two of them.
Youth v Experience.
Can anyone beat Antonelli?
13:25 , Mike Jones
There’s five minutes or so left in the session and Kimi Antonelli has the quickest time.
Lewis Hamilton has just come out on the soft tyres with the aim of reaching the top but can anyone beat Antonelli’s time?
Oh yes! It’s Hamilton flying through with a lap time of 1:29.260 which very much excites the British fans watching on.
Charles Leclerc has set a time good enough for third as well just +0.599 behind his teammate.
A change in strategy
13:21 , Mike Jones
Oscar Piastri is back on track and on soft tyres. So to is George Russell as the teams prepare for the afternoon’s sprint qualifying session.
Russell goes top with a 1:29.938 but that won’t last for long you wouldn’t think...
Nope! Antonelli hits a 1:29.473 on the same tyres. That’s a rapid time.
Quiet and calm
13:17 , Mike Jones
George Russell’s practice session has been quiet and calm so far.
He’s doing what he needs to as he seeks to back up his win from Austria.
At the minute, Russell sits fifth in the session just +0.465 behind Hamilton in first.
Piastri spins!
13:10 , Mike Jones
Oscar Piastri has just had a big spin in his McLaren around Chapel.
His tyres are dead abut the Australian confirms over the radio that he is fine.
The car is quickly back in the garage and there’ll be a pause in his session.
Signs good for exciting weekend
13:09 , Mike Jones
With 20 minutes of the only practice session left the signs are good for a competitive weekend.
Mercedes have been the leaders throughout the season across all areas but Ferrari and Red Bull have been quick in this session.
They’re in the mix with the Mercedes cars. This afternoon’s sprint qualifying will give us a true marker as to how close they are but for now it’s an exciting prospect.
Hamilton goes top
13:05 , Mike Jones
Hamilton has made a couple of changes after a stop in the garage but he’s just slower than Kimi Antonelli on his next timed lap.
No he’s not!
Despite going slower in the first two sectors, Hamilton sweeps to the top of the board with a time of 1:30.521
That’s +0.256 quicker than the Mercedes.
Halfway through the session
13:02 , Mike Jones
Ferrari’s main concern will be the time they lose on the straights and this session is giving the edge to Mercedes and Red Bull in that area.
Their cars make up the top three positions as things stand.
Current top five
12:55 , Mike Jones
All that talk of Hamilton looking good but he’s not at the top of the current times.
That honour is held by Antonelli. Current top five:
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 1:30.777
2. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.192
3. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.209
4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.424
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.500
Hamilton looks good
12:49 , Mike Jones
Lewis Hamilton knows how to drive around Silverstone and has been travelling four hundreths of a second quicker than everyone else in sector three.
It feels as though he’s going quicker in each lap and challenging the top of the leaderboard.
There’s plenty of pace elsewhere in the field though with Antonelli and Hadjar, in particular, impressing too.
Here comes Max!
12:45 , Mike Jones
Max Verstappen goes purple through sector one as his looks to beat his teammate’s time.
He’s green through sector two as Lewis Hamilton jumps back to the top of the leaderboard.
Verstappen nails the final sector as well and clocks a 1:31.277 leaving him and Hamilton as the two top drivers.
He’s +0.157 faster than the Ferrari.
Mercedes and Ferrari at the top
12:41 , Mike Jones
10 minutes into the session and it’s the two title challengers who are setting the ealy pace.
First George Russell and then Lewis Hamilton displaced Antonelli at the top of the leaderboard leaving the top four places occupied by both teams.
That lead doesn’t last long though as Piastri and Hadjar fly through quick laps to retake the top two spots.
It’s the Red Bull on top with a time of 1:31.697!
Antonelli shows early pace
12:37 , Mike Jones
Kimi Antonelli has been the quicker of the two Mercedes drivers this season and proves it in the early stages of FP1.
He goes top of the leaderboard with a time of 1:32.579.
Oscar Piastri of McLaren and Isack Hadjar of Red Bull have started quickly too and sit just behind Antonelli.
Hamilton leads the way
12:34 , Mike Jones
The session is now green and Hamilton was first out onto the track with hard tyres.
George Russell, of Mercedes, is held in the garage for a little while.
Hamilton’s first speeding lap comes in a 1:34.696 and that’s the opening time to beat.
Free practice 1
12:30 , Mike Jones
Okay then, it’s almost time for the first, and only, practice session of the British Grand Prix to get underway.
Lewis Hamilton was out of the pits first and waited for the rest of the grid to queue up behind him.
The nine-time winner here looks determined this week.
Almost time for practice
12:24 , Mike Jones
FP1 kicks off the British Grand Prix at 12.30pm this afternoon.
That’s just a few minutes away and we’ll have all the updates from practice as well as the build up to sprint qualifying later today.
Lewis Hamilton pays tribute to late dog Roscoe
12:18 , Mike Jones
Lewis Hamilton paid tribute to his late dog Roscoe whilst he made a surprising admission ahead of the British Grand Prix.
The F1 legend’s beloved bulldog died after contracting pneumonia last September. The 12-year-old dog had been a constant companion to Hamilton since 2013, frequently appearing at races.
In a press conference on Thursday (2 July), the F1 legend said he misses his dogs Roscoe and Coco - who died in 2020 - “every day”.
He also laughed as he revealed that Roscoe would often relieve himself in front of rival Valtteri’s accommodation. “I’d take him outside to take a poo in front of Valtteri’s motorhome. He just always went there. I don’t know why!”
Hamilton on bond with Silverstone and British fans
12:12 , Mike Jones
Lewis Hamilton is the record holder for most F1 race wins at Silverstone and has a special affinity for his home race circuit.
Aiming to win here for the first time in the red of Ferrari, Hamilton spoke ahead of the weekend of the bond he has with the British fans who’ll turn up over the next few days.
“It goes 20 years strong, so it's pretty deep. It's been building for a long, long time, since my first pole position here in 2007. It's phenomenal when you come here,” Hamilton said.
“I heard that we're going to have the biggest crowd this weekend that we've probably ever had.
“It's such a privilege for us Brits to be here, representing the country, also in the height of all these great sporting moments – you've got Wimbledon going on, and the World Cup as well, with England winning yesterday which was good as well.”
Russell not feeling pressure of British crowd
12:06 , Mike Jones
George Russell is perhaps the British favourite to win his home grand prix this weekend, something he has not yet accommplished.
But he insisted the added pressure won’t play a part in his mindset over the next few days.
“For sure I want to tick the box but I'm not allowing it to give me any more pressure or be any more relaxed,” Russell admitted.
“There's so many fans that give you a lot of energy and excitement through the weekend but when the helmet is on, it's business as usual.
“This was my first F1 race when I was 10 years old so it's always really special to come here.”
The ingenious trick behind Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari resurgence – and why he can win eighth F1 world title
12:00 , Kieran Jackson
Puffing out his cheeks at the start of a series of media interviews, Lewis Hamilton grinned a smile some two-and-a-half years in the making. “Jeez, where do I start?!” he told Sky Sports’ Craig Slater, after a day under the Catalunyan sun he had long dreamed of. On a red-hot afternoon, for the first time since Mexico in October 2024, it was rich scarlet red on top of the podium once again.
Even for 41-year-old Hamilton, who has experienced and endured just about every sensation possible in his two decades in Formula One, this was something new. Something fresh. And perhaps, most tantalisingly of all, something worth building towards for the rest of the 2026 campaign.
The ingenious trick behind Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari F1 resurgence
Russell still gaining confidence in Mercedes' car
11:54 , Mike Jones
Speaking ahead of the British GP, George Russell admitted he was still growing in confidence with his car.
“The game plan [in Great Britain] is just to be as fast as possible,” Russell said.
“I think I've got 100% confidence in myself but I'm still gaining confidence of how to get the car in the sweet spot.
“Last year, if you were to ask me ahead of a session how confident are you that the car is going to be in a good place and you're going to nail the lap, that confidence level was far higher because I understood the car and tyres much more than I do this year but it's improving every race I do.”
George Russell has belief after Austria win
11:48 , Mike Jones
Mercedes’ George Russell has grown in belief following his last two results in Barcelona and Austria.
Speaking after his victory in the latter Grand Prix, Russell said: “It’s incredible to be back on the top step.
“It has been a little while, so I am going to enjoy it this evening. Max was incredibly quick so kudos to them. It was toasty out there so I am looking forward to a drink now.
“The tough races test you psychologically, and the last two weekends have been important to remind myself I can do it.”
Record crowds expected at Silverstone
11:42 , Mike Jones
The British GP this weekend is expected to experience a record crowd across the three days of racing action.
Silverstone chief executive Stuart Pringle told the Press Association: “What does it mean to be hosting the largest Grand Prix ever? It feels entirely appropriate for the place which ran the first round in Formula One in 1950.
“The British fanbase and the history of strong attendance makes it fitting that it is us (that breaks the record), and it reinforces how important the British market is to Formula One. This is a very big race in the calendar.
“We are absolutely ready. The whole thing has got an air of polish to it. We have been building up year-on-year, but this feels like a big step forward for me.”
How will Verstappen go?
11:36 , Mike Jones
Max Verstappen claimed a podium place in Austria last time out to raise questions about how close Red Bull are to competing with Mercedes and Ferrari.
If Verstappen can follow up the Austrian result with a strong performance this weekend it could send shockwaves through the grid with plenty of race weekends left in the season.
George Russell holds off Max Verstappen to win Austrian Grand Prix and revive F1 title hopes
11:30 , Mike Jones
George Russell has reignited his championship hopes, clinching a hard-fought victory at the Austrian Grand Prix and ending a 112-day wait for a win.
The British driver, who last tasted victory at the season's opening fixture in Melbourne on March 8, delivered an impressive display at the sun-drenched Red Bull Ring in the Styrian Mountains.
George Russell holds off Max Verstappen to win thrilling Austrian GP
The biggest lessons Antonelli has learned
11:24 , Mike Jones
A final word from Kimi Antonelli who explained what he’s learned over the last couple of race weekends.
“Definitely one of the biggest lessons is that you have to be ready for anything and be ready to take every opportunity, and [that you] always have to maximise every session because you never know what can happen,” he revealed.
“It can happen that you have bad weekends where you just don't feel great in the car, so the biggest lesson was never let your guard down and just always stay hungry and always try to maximise everything.
“Of course, I feel there's a big fire inside me ahead of this weekend, but of course still remembering to focus on the procedure, on what I have to do, and trying to drive as fast as I can.”
British Grand Prix
11:18 , Mike Jones
There’s just over an hour to go until the first practice session of the 2026 British Grand Prix.
It should reveal a little bit about where the cars are at ahead of this weekend’s racing.
It also the only practice session the teams will get with Sprint qualifying, the Sprint race and proper qualifying all to come.
Antonelli on Austria GP result
11:12 , Mike Jones
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli also reflected on his third place finish in Austria.
“In Austria I think I lost the race in the first stint with the first laps going off.
“I struggled with the brakes and lost a lot of time, so I feel like obviously without that it would have given me a better chance to fight for the victory, or at least for P2.
“For sure it's been, let's not say a difficult couple of races because still we were up there, but definitely looking forward to this weekend to put things more together and maximise better the result.”
Antonelli has 'fire inside' after poor two weeks
11:06 , Mike Jones
F1 drivers’ championship leader Kimi Antonelli says he has a ‘fire inside’ of him following a lean two weeks which have seen his rivals reduce the deficit in the standings.
“I have a big fire inside me because I think the last two races obviously didn't go well, considering the pace we had,” Antonelli said at Thursday’s media day ahead of the British GP.
“I think in Barcelona, the race was going well but obviously we had the issue which was unfortunate.
“In Austria I felt very good in the car, but in Qualifying I relaxed a little bit too much during the session and just didn't extract the best out of the car, the tyres. And then obviously there was the thing with the yellow flag, which George managed well – he did what he had to do.”
F1 drivers to parade in Lego cars at Silverstone before British Grand Prix
11:00 , Mike Jones
Formula One drivers are set to trade their usual high-performance vehicles for an altogether more whimsical mode of transport this Sunday, as they embark on a unique parade lap at Silverstone in mini-cars constructed entirely from Lego bricks.
This unusual spectacle marks the latest in a series of creative collaborations between the Liberty Media-owned sporting organisation and the Danish toymaker, building on several high-profile events throughout 2025.
F1 drivers to parade in Lego cars at Silverstone before British Grand Prix
Constructor standings ahead of British GP
10:54 , Mike Jones
1. Mercedes - 302 points
2. Ferrari - 204 points
3. McLaren - 159 points
4. Red Bull - 115 points
5. Alpine - 57 points
6. Racing Bulls - 44 points
7. Haas - 21 points
8. Williams - 11 points
9. Audi - 2 points
10. Aston Martin - 1 point
11. Cadillac - 0 points
Driver standings ahead of British GP
10:48 , Mike Jones
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 171 points
2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 131 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 125 points
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 80 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 79 points
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 79 points
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 73 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) - 42 points
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 41 points
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 30 points
11. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 18 points
12. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 16 points
13. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) -14 points
14. Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 6 points
15. Alex Albon (Williams) - 5 points
15. Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 3 points
17. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 2 points
18. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 1 point
19. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 0 points
20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 0 points
21. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 0 points
22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 0 points
How can I watch it online and on TV?
10:42 , Mike Jones
The British Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Friday’s sprint qualifying race starting at 3:35 pm (BST).
Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action from Silverstone on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
In the United States, every practice, qualifying and race session will be streamed on Apple TV this year. You can stream Apple TV for FREE, with Apple TV’s seven-day free trial.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch, then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help.
British Grand Prix
10:30 , Mike Jones
Formula 1 heads to Silverstone in Great Britain for round nine of the 2026 F1 season in a sprint weekend that could play a key role in the drivers’ championship title race.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli still leads the way but since claiming a fifth consecutive victory with a victory in Monaco the impressive 19-year-old has seen his lead cut to 40 points.
A DNF in Barcelona helped Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton close the gap, as the seven-time champion claimed a first grand prix win for the Italian team, before Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell earned victory at the Austrain Grand Prix last time out.
Antonelli limited that damage with a place on the podium but it was the eye-raising performance of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who swept through to finish second, that makes the prospect of three teams competing at the top such an exciting one as F1 descends on Silverstone.
When is the British Grand Prix?
10:18 , Mike Jones
All times BST
Friday 3 July
- Free practice 1: 12.30pm
- Sprint qualifying: 4.30pm
Saturday 4 July
- Sprint race: 12pm
- Qualifying: 4pm
Sunday 5 July
- Race: 3pm
Good morning!
10:16 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of this weekend’s Formula 1 action from Silverstone in Great Britain.
It’s a sprint weekend so there’s no time to lose for drivers aiming to close the gap on championship leader Kimi Antonelli with an extra eight points available for the winner of Saturday’s sprint race.
The main action, of course, comes on Sunday as George Russell will aim to back up his victory from Austria and continue to close the gap on his Mercedes teammate.
But, what can Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton do to cause an upset? And are Red Bull back in contention following Max Verstappen’s second place finish in Austria?
Let’s find out. Follow along for all the latest updates from the British GP this weekend.
