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Britain's Grand Prix marks the debut of the inaugural Formula One sprint qualification race.

In the sequence of events following the traditional race qualifiers, a historical first was accomplished in the realm of Formula 1; the Sprint Qualification (consisting of seventeen laps) was staged for the very first time. The outcomes of this unprecedented competition unfolded as follows:

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Historic Sprint Qualifier race unfolds during Britain's Formula One Grand Prix.
Historic Sprint Qualifier race unfolds during Britain's Formula One Grand Prix.

Britain's Grand Prix marks the debut of the inaugural Formula One sprint qualification race.

The British Grand Prix 2025 saw an exciting first on Saturday, as Formula 1 held its first-ever Saturday sprint qualifying. The event, consisting of 17 laps, was filled with thrilling overtakes, strategic decisions, and a few unexpected twists.

Max Verstappen, the Red Bull Racing driver, made history by becoming the first sprint race winner. He achieved this victory by choosing soft tires for the sprint, a decision that paid off handsomely. At the start of the sprint, Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, and never looked back.

Behind Verstappen, the battle for positions was intense. Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes finished the sprint in third place, earning one point in the overall standings. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, finished in second place, earning two points. This result moved Hamilton to second place in the driver standings, behind Verstappen who now leads with 3 points. Bottas is close behind in third place with 1 point.

The local crowd was disappointed as Hamilton couldn't maintain the top spot, but the race was far from over. Sergio Perez of Red Bull Racing had a disappointing sprint, crashing out on lap 6 and dropping from 5th place to the back of the pack. This opened up opportunities for other drivers to gain positions.

Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, both veterans of the sport, gained 4 positions each in the sprint qualifying. Lando Norris, McLaren's promising young driver, maintained his position in the top 5, ensuring McLaren earned a point in the team standings.

After the Sprint-Qualifying, the updated team standings show Red Bull Racing leading with 5 points, followed by Mercedes with 3 points, and McLaren with 1 point. In the overall championship standings, Oscar Piastri is leading, ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

The British Grand Prix race will start tomorrow, July 18, at 16:55 Moscow time. With the exciting conclusion of the sprint qualifying, fans are eagerly awaiting the main event to see who will take the chequered flag.

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