Formula 1 in Great Britain - British trio lead the way at home race in Silverstone
The British boys have struck: Led by George Russell, the Silverstone specialist Lewis Hamilton and title challenger Lando Norris secured the three best starting positions among themselves. "What a feeling, what a feeling," gushed Russell under the thunderous applause of the British Formula-1 fans. "Three Brits in the top three is incredible," said Hamilton.
Russell secured the third pole of his career with a 0.171 second lead over his Mercedes teammate Hamilton. The 39-year-old Brit stood on the grid of the "Home of British Motor Racing" seven times on pole position, and he has won the race eight times. Surprisingly, he even outqualified the title defender Max Verstappen's teammate Norris on Saturday.
The two, who had collided in the race at Spielberg, will start the twelfth race of the season (3:00 PM EST/Sky) at the British Grand Prix side by side. In the championship standings, Verstappen is 81 points ahead of Norris, who is in second place.
Wolff: Temperatures with pullovers and jackets are coming our way
According to Red Bull team bosses, Verstappen damaged the underbody of his car in the K.O. elimination during an off-track excursion through the gravel bed. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said himself. The fourth place was much better than expected, Verstappen seemed quite calm and confident for the race, which he won last year. Sixth place in the thrilling qualifying session was Nico Hülkenberg in the Haas.
The chance of having three Brits on the first three rows was not as small as it seemed. On Friday, Norris had dominated both free practice sessions, and on the last laps before the qualifying session, the Mercedes drivers were the fastest on a wet track - faster than Norris. Verstappen could not keep up with their pace in all three sessions.
Would the Brits really settle it among themselves? The look at the sky over Silverstone suggested that the qualifying session might also turn into a weather spectacle. Nearly autumnal 13 degrees, with dark clouds. "The temperatures, at which you need a pullover and a jacket, are coming our way," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
Verstappen's teammate Pérez under pressure - and in the gravel
Under these conditions, Sergio Pérez got caught out on the soft tires. With his new contract at Red Bull not looking any less critical, Pérez got stuck in the gravel. He couldn't get the Red Bull back on the track with his own efforts, and he climbed out of the car, completely disappointed. "Of course, it's performance-oriented, and no one is exempted," emphasized motorsport advisor Helmut Marko before the qualifying session on Sky.
As the track was cleared, Verstappen rolled through the gravel, damaged the underbody in the process, and slipped down the time charts dangerously. 15th place - he would have been out in the first qualifying session. But then the sigh of relief from the Red Bull command center: Verstappen's next lap was enough to advance. Unconvincing it was not. Hamilton was in the lead, followed by Russell.
British fans pay the price
Second qualifying session: This time, Norris was the fastest. Verstappen had to fight again to make it into the top ten. For Charles Leclerc, the qualifying session was prematurely over for Ferrari. "Are we out?" he asked his pit crew. Answer: "Yes, we are out." Only eleventh place.
It wasn't about Pole position and Verstappen, who was the first to make a attempt and found himself only briefly in first place: For Russell, Norris, Hamilton, and even Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren were better. British fans, who paid quite a bit for their tickets, were left disappointed when the final starting grid formation was announced.
- George Russell, the British Formula-1 fan favorite, expressed his excitement after securing the third pole position of his career for the GP Great Britain.
- Toto Wolff, the Mercedes-Benz team boss, predicted cooler temperatures for the upcoming race, hinting at the need for pullovers and jackets.
- During the qualification session, Max Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, got stuck in a gravel bed, potentially affecting his standing in the Red Bull team.
- In the qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton secured the pole position, leading the way for the British drivers in the top three positions.
- The GP Great Britain is Lando Norris's home race, and despite his collision with Verstappen in the previous race, he managed to secure a strong starting position.
- Lando Norris, the second-place contender in the championship standings, showed resilience during the qualifying session, improving his position significantly.
- Sky Sports provided live coverage of the qualifying session, allowing fans worldwide to watch the British boys' performance in the Twelfth race of the Formula 1 season.
- The Red Bull team acknowledged that Max Verstappen had damaged his car's underbody during an off-track excursion during the qualifying session, potentially affecting his performance in the race.
- George Russell's dominant performance in the qualifying session highlighted the potential for a strong finish in the GP Great Britain, adding to the excitement of the home race and the greater British motorsport scene.
