Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas will be on pole position for Sunday’s British Grand Prix after edging out team-mate Lewis Hamilton by just 0.006 seconds during qualifying at Silverstone.
British star Hamilton was aiming for his seventh pole position at his home grand prix but the reigning Formula 1 world champion will have to settle for second on the grid.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc starts third while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly start in fourth and fifth respectively. Leclerc’s team-mate Sebastian Vettel was sixth fastest in qualifying.
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Bottas, who is second in the 2019 drivers’ championship, said: “It reminds you why you do it. It has been really close all weekend with Lewis but I just managed to get good lap and beat him to pole.
“The first lap was good but not perfect and I should have improved on the second run but I couldn’t get the lap together.”
Championship leader Hamilton added: “Congratulations to Valtteri. He did a solid job throughout qualifying but ultimately [I was] not good enough. At the end, I had that mistake on the first lap and the second one wasn’t that great.”
What time does the race start?
The 2019 F1 British Grand Prix starts at 2.10pm (BST) on Sunday 14 July.
Sir Frank’s milestone
Williams Racing are celebrating a major milestone this weekend with the British GP marking Sir Frank Williams’ 50th anniversary as a Formula 1 team principal and team owner. Sunday’s British GP will be Sir Frank’s 824th race as a team principal.
2019 F1 British Grand Prix race guide
Circuit name: Silverstone
First grand prix: 1950
Number of laps: 52
Circuit length: 5.891km
Race distance: 306.198km
Lap record: 1:30.621 by Lewis Hamilton in 2017
2018 podium: 1st Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari); 2nd Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 3rd Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari)
British GP predictions: Hamilton tipped for more Silverstone success
Formula1.com
“When trying to pick a winner for Silverstone, it’s hard to look past Hamilton. Between 2014 and 2017, he won this race four years in a row, and might have made that a fifth consecutive win in 2018 had he not been spun around on the opening lap by the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.”
Bobby Vincent, GPBlog.com
“Red Bull and Honda won their first race together last time out and the way Max Verstappen is driving at the moment - you can never rule him out! Ferrari need a big weekend and they could have another great race at Silverstone. Mercedes is too good of a team not to respond, though. My prediction would be for another Hamilton victory in front of his home crowd and Charles Leclerc behind him, giving him an excellent race.”
Sporting Life
“Hamilton’s troubled run to fifth place in the Austrian Grand Prix can safely be cast aside as an outlier. Hamilton’s results since his home race last season comprise 14 wins, four second places, a third, a fourth and a fifth, so slight odds-on for an event in which he has excelled over the years looks a solid investment.”
George Howson, SportsKeeda
“I’m predicting the home favourite to stand on the top step of the podium on Sunday. Lewis Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix a total of five times, a tally which sees him stand level with Alain Prost and Jim Clark for the most wins in the UK ever. Hamilton has won every British GP in the hybrid era, except for the last one, where he was spun out by Kimi Raikkonen at the start and still managed to come home in second. Hamilton has had an incredible season so far, and I'm backing him to get his seventh win from ten races in 2019 on Sunday.”
PitPass.com
“Lewis Hamilton is the outright favourite to win the 2019 British Grand Prix having won for the fifth time in 2017. He also has the advantage of the home crowd cheering him on. Hamilton is in hot form having recently won Spanish GP, Monaco GP, Canadian GP and French GP in a row. A bet on Hamilton is a realistic bet as he aims to make history in the Silverstone track. One more win will keep him above Alain Prost and Jim Clark.”
The Stats Zone
“After the anomaly of Austria, Mercedes are expected to be back on form and should dominate at Silverstone. There is a new smooth track on the classic circuit with long straights and fast, sweeping cornering. There will also be significantly cooler temperatures. All these factors will suit the Silver Arrows. The real battle will be between Hamilton and Bottas. It should be close, but Hamilton will be particularly motivated. The reigning champion can power to a record-breaking win at his home race this weekend.”
GrandPrix247.com
“Hamilton was certainly below his best in Austria, but the British Grand Prix usually brings out the best in him and he looks banker material to win his seventh race of the season.”
Sky Sports F1 and Channel 4 will show live coverage of practice, qualifying and the race from Silverstone.
As well as the on-track action, both broadcasters will also be showing special programmes for the British GP weekend.
On Saturday on Channel 4 Wolff meets Southgate starts at 12.25pm and sees Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in conversation with England football head coach Gareth Southgate.
Then at 5pm on Saturday Sky Sports F1 celebrates 50 years of Sir Frank Williams.
Watch F1 on Now TV
Formula 1 fans can also watch the action live on Now TV. Viewers can subscribe to a Sky Sports Day Pass via Now TV for just £8.99, the most economical way of watching each race.
Sky Sports F1 coverage of the British GP
Saturday 13 July
10.30am: practice three build-up
11am: practice three
12.10pm: Paddock Walkabout
1pm: qualifying build-up
2pm: qualifying live
5pm: Sir Frank: Celebrating 50 Years
Sunday 14 July
12.30pm: British GP Pit Lane live
1.30pm: British GP On The Grid
2.10pm: F1 British Grand Prix live
4pm: British GP Paddock Live
5pm: British GP: The Notebook
7pm: British GP highlights
Channel 4 coverage of the British GP
Saturday 13 July
10.55am-12.25pm: practice three live
12.25pm-12.55pm: Wolff meets Southgate
12.55pm-3.50pm: qualifying live
Sunday 14 July
12.55pm-1.45pm: British GB build-up
1.45pm-4.30pm: live F1 British Grand Prix
4.30pm-5.30pm: live race reaction
11.10pm-12.15am: race highlights
What the drivers said ahead of the British GP
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
“The ultimate race circuit. This is a grand prix we can never lose. Formula 1 loses this and it loses so much of its essence. This has the biggest crowd of the whole year, the biggest attendance of the season.”
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari (last year’s winner)
“Racing at Silverstone is something special because it’s such a cool track. There are a lot of fast sections. It is also very technical, especially in the first part of the track with the new corners. To be honest, I still prefer the old parts with the fast flowing turns. There is one of the most epic corner sequences in Formula 1 on this circuit, with Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel leading onto the Hangar Straight. I think every driver enjoys that part and I certainly do. We won there last year and it is also the place where Ferrari took its first race win in Formula 1 a long way back, so there is plenty of history there for all of us at Ferrari.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
“I am looking forward to being back at Silverstone. It’s a track that I really like driving on. The circuit is well known for its fast corners which always makes it fun for all the drivers, especially in these cars which have so much downforce. The atmosphere at the grand prix is also fantastic and there are a lot of people supporting us, which is great. Being part of a race as iconic as this one is always something special and we will fight to make it a good one.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
“I’m looking forward to Silverstone, especially after our win in Austria. I really enjoy Silverstone Circuit because of the high speed corners, Becketts and Maggots being my favourite, and it’s great fun to drive. I love to see all the British fans camping and supporting us in the grandstands. There is always a big turnout and they are definitely some of the most passionate F1 fans in the world. Because our factory is just down the road it is another home race for the team so I hope we can continue our progress and put on a great show for everyone on Sunday.”
(Image credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Robert Kubica, Williams Racing
“Silverstone is a big event for the team, as it is our home race. We hope for better performance and car improvements, but the track is very challenging. It has a lot of high-speed corners and is completely different to Austria. We will try our best and deliver what we can for our fans.”
Daniel Ricciardo, Renault
“Silverstone will always be a special one for me, as it’s where I made my Formula 1 debut in 2011. I’ve always loved Silverstone, it’s a pretty epic track. It just has this nice flow to it, it’s all very high-speed and a great venue for Formula 1. You get a real buzz on every lap as there’s a lot of brave corners to get right. The British Grand Prix is a race I always get very excited about! The British fans are amongst the most passionate and that creates a really cool, electric atmosphere.”
Carlos Sainz, McLaren
“McLaren’s home race next! I’m really looking forward to this weekend. The British GP is a really special race on the F1 calendar and one of my favourite tracks. It’s a very quick and enjoyable circuit that creates good opportunities for close racing. My aim for this weekend is to keep pushing on track and working closely with the team to maximise every opportunity we get.”
Romain Grosjean, Haas
“I think Silverstone’s a great track. It’s got a lot of history. It’s one of the races you enjoy going to, with good fans. It’s a beautiful event.”
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