Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli continued his remarkable Silverstone weekend by securing pole position for the British Grand Prix, outpacing Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton with another commanding display of speed.
Fresh from winning Saturday's sprint race, the 19-year-old Italian produced a sensational final qualifying lap to finish 0.175 seconds clear of Leclerc, while Hamilton completed the top three. Mercedes team-mate George Russell could only manage fourth, trailing Antonelli by 0.370 seconds.
Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar impressed with fifth place, finishing ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen for only the second time this season when both drivers completed qualifying. McLaren's Lando Norris slotted between the pair in sixth.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri qualified seventh for McLaren, ahead of Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, who rounded out the top 10.
Antonelli's pole capped another flawless performance around the fast and flowing Silverstone circuit, further strengthening his growing reputation as one of Formula 1's brightest young stars.
His latest success also dealt a significant blow to Russell in their championship battle. Antonelli had already extended his title lead by winning the sprint race earlier in the day, and starting from pole gives him a major advantage in his bid for victory at Silverstone.
Although Antonelli expressed concern about being the first driver to begin the final qualifying runs, he quickly put those fears to rest. He improved his previous benchmark by nearly three-tenths of a second, leaving the rest of the field unable to respond.
"I was a bit stressed because I never really like going first for the last run, but the last lap was very tidy. It all came together," Antonelli said.
"It was very tricky with the wind because it was very gusty and unpredictable, so putting the car on pole was very satisfying."
Leclerc's runner-up finish marked his first qualifying victory over Hamilton since the Miami Grand Prix in early May, ending a difficult run in which he had struggled to feel comfortable in Ferrari's car.
"I'm pleased," Leclerc said. "It's been a few tough races where the feeling wasn't quite right and I struggled to put everything together. There has been so much work behind the scenes to get that feeling back. This is the first time I've really had it again, and it's a good start."
Hamilton admitted he was disappointed not to challenge for pole but was encouraged by Ferrari's overall progress.
"Of course I'm not satisfied—I'm third," Hamilton said. "Both these guys did a great job today. Charles has made good improvements, and we just didn't have the pace of the Mercedes. But we're slowly closing the gap, and having both Ferraris near the front is good for the team."
With Antonelli starting from pole after also claiming sprint victory, the Mercedes prodigy heads into Sunday's British Grand Prix as the clear favourite to complete a memorable Silverstone double.
