F1 British GP qualifying results: George Russell takes pole in Mercedes 1-2

Russell will start ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.

British Grand Prix grid: Russell on pole from Hamilton

Cla
Nº
Driver
Car / Engine
Time
Delay

1
63
George Russell
Mercedes
1’25.819

2
44
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
1’25.990
0.171

3
4
Lando Norris
McLaren/Mercedes
1’26.030
0.211

4
1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull/Honda RBPT
1’26.203
0.384

5
81
Oscar Piastri
McLaren/Mercedes
1’26.237
0.418

6
27
Nico Hülkenberg
Haas/Ferrari
1’26.338
0.519

7
55
Carlos Sainz
Ferrari
1’26.509
0.690

8
18
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin/Mercedes
1’26.585
0.766

9
23
Alexander Albon
Williams/Mercedes
1’26.640
0.821

10
14
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin/Mercedes
1’26.917
1.098

11
16
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1’27.097
1.278

12
2
Logan Sargeant
Williams/Mercedes
1’27.175
1.356

13
22
Yuki Tsunoda
RB/Honda RBPT
1’27.269
1.450

14
24
Zhou Guanyu
Sauber/Ferrari
1’27.867
2.048

15
3
Daniel Ricciardo
RB/Honda RBPT
1’27.949
2.130

16
77
Valtteri Bottas
Sauber/Ferrari
1’32.431
6.612

17
20
Kevin Magnussen
Haas/Ferrari
1’32.905
7.086

18
31
Esteban Ocon
Alpine/Renault
1’34.557
8.738

19
11
Sergio Pérez
Red Bull/Honda RBPT
1’38.348
12.529

20
10
Pierre Gasly
Alpine/Renault
1’39.804
13.985

What happened in British Grand Prix Q1?

The session started in damp conditions, with Verstappen setting the early pace on intermediates at 1m37.518s. Hamilton beat that as the track continued to dry with 1m37.134s.

Just after drivers switched to slicks, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez spun off at Copse, causing a red flag with 7m30s to go.

The session restarted with everyone on slicks, but with heavy rain in the vicinity. Verstappen went off at Copse but managed to run through the gravel rather than spinning as his team-mate had, but he did sustain damage to his floor.

Piastri led the way with 1m30.895s, as a brief shower arrived, but the track dried again for the final lap. Hamilton went to the top with 1m29.547s, ahead of Russell, and the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, as Piastri fell to sixth.

Falling at the first hurdle were Valtteri Bottas (Sauber), Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Perez and Pierre Gasly (Alpine).

British GP Q1 results: Hamilton fastest from Russell

Cla
Nº
Driver
Car / Engine
Time
Delay
Laps

1
44
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
1’29.547

11

2
63
George Russell
Mercedes
1’30.106
0.559
11

3
16
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1’30.496
0.949
10

4
55
Carlos Sainz
Ferrari
1’30.557
1.010
10

5
81
Oscar Piastri
McLaren/Mercedes
1’30.895
1.348
9

6
22
Yuki Tsunoda
RB/Honda RBPT
1’30.994
1.447
10

7
23
Alexander Albon
Williams/Mercedes
1’31.135
1.588
9

8
24
Zhou Guanyu
Sauber/Ferrari
1’31.190
1.643
12

9
14
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin/Mercedes
1’31.264
1.717
11

10
3
Daniel Ricciardo
RB/Honda RBPT
1’31.291
1.744
10

11
1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull/Honda RBPT
1’31.342
1.795
10

12
18
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin/Mercedes
1’31.410
1.863
10

13
4
Lando Norris
McLaren/Mercedes
1’31.596
2.049
9

14
2
Logan Sargeant
Williams/Mercedes
1’31.608
2.061
10

15
27
Nico Hülkenberg
Haas/Ferrari
1’31.929
2.382
3

16
77
Valtteri Bottas
Sauber/Ferrari
1’32.431
2.884
11

17
20
Kevin Magnussen
Haas/Ferrari
1’32.905
3.358
6

18
31
Esteban Ocon
Alpine/Renault
1’34.557
5.010
11

19
11
Sergio Pérez
Red Bull/Honda RBPT
1’38.348
8.801
5

20
10
Pierre Gasly
Alpine/Renault
1’39.804
10.257
7

What happened in British Grand Prix Q2?

Piastri set the early pace at 1m26.945s, but the final runs defined the session with Norris setting 1m26.559s, lapping 0.164s faster than Russell.

Knocked out at this point were Leclerc, Logan Sargeant (Williams), Yuki Tsunoda (RB), Zhou Guanyu and Daniel Ricciardo (RB).

British GP Q2 results: Norris fastest from Russell

Cla
Nº
Driver
Car / Engine
Time
Delay
Laps

1
4
Lando Norris
McLaren/Mercedes
1’26.559

8

2
63
George Russell
Mercedes
1’26.723
0.164
9

3
14
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin/Mercedes
1’26.730
0.171
8

4
81
Oscar Piastri
McLaren/Mercedes
1’26.733
0.174
9

5
44
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
1’26.770
0.211
8

6
1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull/Honda RBPT
1’26.796
0.237
8

7
55
Carlos Sainz
Ferrari
1’26.843
0.284
8

8
27
Nico Hülkenberg
Haas/Ferrari
1’26.847
0.288
8

9
23
Alexander Albon
Williams/Mercedes
1’26.933
0.374
8

10
18
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin/Mercedes
1’26.938
0.379
8

11
16
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1’27.097
0.538
8

12
2
Logan Sargeant
Williams/Mercedes
1’27.175
0.616
10

13
22
Yuki Tsunoda
RB/Honda RBPT
1’27.269
0.710
7

14
24
Zhou Guanyu
Sauber/Ferrari
1’27.867
1.308
10

15
3
Daniel Ricciardo
RB/Honda RBPT
1’27.949
1.390
8

What happened in British Grand Prix Q3?

On the first runs, Russell led the way with 1m26.024s, 0.006s clear of Norris, Hamilton, Piastri and Verstappen.

On the final runs, Hamilton snatched provisional pole with 1m25.990s but Russell grabbed it back with 1m25.819s, as Norris aborted his final lap after “a little mistake” and was forced to settle for third.

Verstappen salvaged fourth, ahead of Piastri, Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), Sainz, Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Alex Albon (Williams) and Fernando Alonso (Aston).