‘I knew my chance was coming’ – Antonelli explains pivotal moment in Silverstone Sprint after taking victory

Kimi Antonelli has shared an insight into the moment where he knew he could get into the lead in the Sprint at the British Grand Prix, with the Italian admitting that he “used everything I had” to push on ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

After lining up in P2 on the grid, Antonelli was squeezed by Hamilton into the first corner and even found himself slipping back to third at one stage on the opening lap, having been overtaken by McLaren’s Lando Norris before soon retaking the position.

The Mercedes driver then set about chasing after Hamilton as the laps ticked down, keeping the pressure on until he saw his chance to make a move on Lap 8. Utilising the Boost function, Antonelli eventually surged ahead of the Ferrari at Stowe and from there onwards was untroubled at the front, going on to seal his first Sprint win.

Reflecting back on the 100km dash afterwards, the 19-year-old said of his battle with Hamilton: “It was a very fun first 10 laps with Lewis. We were both pushing very hard. Once I got into Overtake mode, I knew my chance was coming.

“Out of Turn 4, I got very close alongside into Brooklands, but he used the Boost, so I decided to wait. Then, going into Stowe, I used everything I had and was able to overtake. From that point on, I just got into my rhythm, tried to stay out of his Overtake range, and bring the car home.”

Antonelli’s latest triumph means that his points tally now stands at 179, having stretched out his lead in the championship standings over team mate George Russell to 43 points. However, the youngster remains wary of the threat posed by his rivals.

“The momentum is definitely there, and we’re doing a great job together with the team,” he explained. “But we can’t let our guard down because Lewis and Ferrari are doing an incredible job.

“Red Bull and McLaren are coming, and George is also super quick. We just need to keep raising the bar and continue delivering strong performances.”