I love this place – Lewis Hamilton ‘ecstatic’ with sprint pole at Silverstone

By Philip Duncan, Press Association F1 Correspondent, Silverstone

An “ecstatic” Lewis Hamilton said he is in love with Silverstone after he ramped up his world championship bid with a brilliant pole position for Saturday’s sprint race at the British Grand Prix.

The 41-year-old Ferrari driver rose brilliantly to the occasion in front of his adoring home crowd in qualifying to see off Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds and take the prime spot for the 17-lap dash to the chequered flag.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will line up third, one place ahead of Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc. George Russell finished a disappointing fifth.

Hamilton insists he is not thinking about winning a record eighth crown, but his performance here will do little to dampen a growing feeling that he is now a genuine title contender.

The pressure was on Hamilton after championship leader Antonelli laid down a marker. But the Englishman, as he has done so often before at the British Grand Prix – where his nine victories are a record for any driver at a single race – pulled out a magic lap with one sling at glory.

Hamilton punched the air before standing on top of his Ferrari and performing a two-fingered victory salute beneath the scorching Silverstone sun.

“Holy c**p,” said Hamilton. “Wow. Okay. I like it. I love this place. I love this place and I love this crowd,” he continued.

“I can’t express to you how big a dream it is – and still to this day, when you are building up to this race, and when you think about every corner, and the flow you can get into at this track if you get the setup right. And if you have got the right team behind you. The car has felt great today.

“We brought tiny little bits here, and we are showing up every single weekend with something, and everyone has pushed to the max. I am really grateful to get that pole. I was quick through all the sessions but it was only 11 milliseconds in the end.

“We didn’t expect we would be coming to Silverstone and competing for the front row – we really, really didn’t – but this is an amazing surprise and I am ecstatic.”

Hamilton called on Ferrari to replace him last year amid a dreadful first season in red, which arrived off the back of three underwhelming seasons at Mercedes.

But he is a man revitalised this year and after landing his first Ferrari win in Barcelona three weeks ago, Hamilton is just 46 points back in the championship hunt with 13 rounds still to come after this weekend’s event.

Hamilton last began a Silverstone race on the front row four years ago. An opening lap for the ages followed which ended with title rival Verstappen in the wall at Copse. Verstappen will start a place behind Hamilton for Saturday’s sprint.

“I don’t remember the last time I started on the front row here,” added Hamilton. “It is not so easy when you have got these guys who can follow you, and the potential extra power, but I will do my best to keep them behind.

“It won’t always be like this. But my team just won’t let up and we should have a good race tomorrow.”