Max Verstappen takes a fifth consecutive pole position for the first time in his career; Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finish second and third for McLaren; watch the British Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase at 3pm on Sunday, with build-up from 1:30pm
Sunday 9 July 2023 07:03, UK
Max Verstappen claimed pole position for Red Bull at the British Grand Prix as McLaren produced a stunning qualifying performance to take second and third through Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
A thrilling session that played out on a drying track at Silverstone delivered a fitting finale as Britain's Norris momentarily took provisional pole before Verstappen responded to prevent a major shock.
Verstappen, who leads the world championship by 81 points, claimed a fifth successive pole for the first time in his career, and will attempt to add a sixth successive race victory on Sunday.
Norris' rookie team-mate Piastri achieved the best qualifying performance of his career to take third, with Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finishing behind him.
George Russell followed in sixth, a place ahead of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who recovered from a spin in the opening stages of the session.
Alex Albon backed up strong displays throughout the weekend in practice to take eighth, with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly rounding out the top 10.
Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate - and nearest title challenger - Sergio Perez failed to make it through to final part of qualifying for a fifth successive race as he made a Q1 exit.
Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas, who ended Q1 stuck out on track after running out of fuel, was later disqualified from qualifying for being unable to provide a sufficient fuel sample, relegating him from 15th to the back of the grid.
"It's been quite a crazy qualifying," Verstappen said. "It was quite hectic and slippery in some places. We did our laps and then Q3, I was quite surprised to see them two there.
"It's great for McLaren to be here and very happy from our side to be on pole."
Red Bull have the opportunity to equal McLaren's record of 11 successive race victories on Sunday, with the reigning constructors' champions having won all nine Grands Prix this season along with last year's Abu Dhabi finale.
British GP Qualifying result
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Lando Norris, McLaren
3) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
6) George Russell, Mercedes
7) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
8) Alex Albon, Williams
9) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
10) Pierre Gasly, Alpine
After an action-packed Q1 and Q2 that left the whole field, even Verstappen, in jeopardy on a drying and rapidly improving surface, there was doubt the final 12 minutes would be able to provide the same level of drama.
That sense was only heightened when after the first runs in Q3, Verstappen led by 0.6s, although the fact the Dutchman was the only driver who did his first run on new tyres left some hope that a stunning lap could see him challenged.
Hamilton, an eight-time winner at Silverstone, had been second after the first runs, but a tightly packed group behind him meant there was at least plenty of mystery about who was likely to join Verstappen on the front row.
Norris didn't appear to be a likely candidate as he sat 10th after a scruffy first attempt, with Piastri looking like the stronger McLaren, having topped Q2 and slotted in third behind Hamilton on those first runs.
With the sun finally shining at a sold-out Silverstone following a day filled with showers, the tension built as the field made their way back onto the track to prepare for their final laps.
All eyes were on the Ferrari of Leclerc, and then Hamilton, but both failed to beat Verstappen's earlier effort, and it momentarily appeared pole was secure for the Dutchman.
But then came Norris, to the shock and delight of the crowd, bettering Verstappen by more than a tenth to take hold of provisional pole.
No sooner than those watching had been given enough time to digest the brilliance of Norris' lap and start to consider the possibility of the second career pole for the 23-year-old, the relentless Verstappen crossed the line to reclaim top spot with a 1:26.720, taking him more than 0.2s clear.
While there was momentary deflation at the denial of a fairy-tale pole for Norris, any disappointment quickly turned to satisfaction for a McLaren team that has endured a poor start to the 2023 campaign.
"I was close (to pole)! Pretty insane. My last lap was a good lap," Norris said. "It's great for both of us, pretty amazing for the whole team.
"Max always ruins everything! No, I'm very happy. It's been a special day for us.
"It makes up for everything, all the hard work we have been putting in - especially here with the new livery, home race for myself and the team."
Norris took fourth at last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix following the introduction of significant upgrades to his car, and any suggestion that his performance was something of a fluke has now been dispelled.
For Piastri, who had to wait until this weekend to get his chance to use the upgrades, it was a performance that confirmed the special talent that the sport has been expecting from the Australian since his controversial move to McLaren last summer.
While the session ended in sunshine and on a completely dry track, it had begun in gloom and with rain still in the air.
There was uncertainty over whether slicks or intermediates were the right tyres to start on, with both Ferraris among several cars that began on the latter before switching after one exploratory lap.
Hamilton, who was on slicks, escaped a very near miss as he spun at Stowe on his first flying lap, going into the gravel but using all of his experience to get his car back under control and keep going.
The seven-time world champion regained his composure to move out of the bottom five before the rain started to get heavier, with it appearing likely at that point that no further improvement of times would be possible.
However, there was a twist as Kevin Magnussen stopped out on track with an oil pressure issue, bringing out a red flag that paused the session with just over three minutes remaining.
In the 11 minutes it took to clear the Haas and resume the session, the rain stopped and the track dried, setting up a frantic one-lap shootout to finish.
While the track had dried, it was still greasy enough that Verstappen somewhat bizarrely lost control of his RB19 on the way out of the garage, striking the pit wall and breaking a front wing in the process.
Perez, who was in danger in 14th at the resumption, made the decision to get to the front of the pit lane well before the resumption to ensure a clear track.
That turned out to be a mistake as the Mexican was going first on a rapidly improving track, and while he went to the top of the timesheet with his effort, almost all the other drivers behind him were also improving.
Even Verstappen, so rarely under threat in Q1 or Q2, was under pressure to produce a solid lap as he fell down the timesheet, but he delivered, as ever.
It was an agonising wait for Perez, and a devastating conclusion as he was eliminated by just 19-thousandths of a second, with Alonso sneaking through in 15th.
Having begun the season in such fine form to claim two victories in the opening four races, Perez has capitulated and has now remarkably failed to make it through to Q3 since the Miami Grand Prix at the start of May.
While he will possess the pace to move up the field on Sunday, another disappointment will only add to speculation over whether Perez will be allowed to see out the final year of his contract with the team next season.
In a similarly chaotic finish to Q2, the most notable casualty was Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, who failed to make it through to Q3 for the fourth time in six races.
While the fact that Alonso only managed ninth shows that Aston Martin are struggling to maintain their early-season form, Stroll's form will undoubtedly be a concern for the team owned by his father, Lawrence.
