During the final runs of Q3, George Russell set the pace and further improved on his final effort, clocking in at 1m 25.819s. This time put him 0.171s ahead of Lewis Hamilton, securing a front-row lockout for Mercedes. Lando Norris followed closely in third place, making it an all-British top three in qualifying.
Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, could only manage a fourth-place finish. His performance seemed to be compromised by an earlier excursion through the gravel at Copse. Oscar Piastri took fifth place for McLaren, continuing the team’s strong showing.
Nico Hulkenberg delivered a standout performance by qualifying sixth in the Haas, ahead of Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari. This marked Hulkenberg’s best grid position of the season and a significant achievement for Haas.
Aston Martin had a more positive outcome compared to recent weekends, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso securing P8 and P10 on the grid, respectively. Alex Albon of Williams qualified between them, taking P9.
The final standings for Q3 highlighted a competitive session with British drivers dominating the top three positions. Russell’s pole position, Hamilton’s close second, and Norris’s third place demonstrated the strong performance of the British contingent at Silverstone. Verstappen’s fourth-place finish showed he still had the speed despite his earlier off-track incident. Piastri’s fifth place continued McLaren’s resurgence, while Hulkenberg’s sixth place was a remarkable achievement for both him and the Haas team.
Ferrari’s Sainz managed to take seventh, and the improved results for Aston Martin with Stroll and Alonso in the top ten rounded out an exciting and eventful qualifying session. Albon’s ninth place for Williams also signified a solid effort from the team. The grid is now set for what promises to be an exhilarating 52-lap race at the British Grand Prix.
