Russell on pole as Brits Hamilton, Norris top Silverstone qualifying

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LAURENCE EDMONDSON via <a href="http://espn.go.com/" title="ESPN" class="espn_sc_byline">ESPN </a>
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July 6, 2024, 12:09 PM ET
3 min read

SILVERSTONE, England -- George Russell will start from pole position at the British Grand Prix after beating Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to the fastest lap in qualifying.

After winning the last round in Austria when Lando Norris and Max Verstappen collided with seven laps to go, Russell is in a position to chase the third win of his career, while Hamilton will have his eyes set on a ninth British Grand Prix win of his career.

"The car at the moment is feeling so, so good, it really came alive in qualifying," Russell said,

Lando Norris made it an all-British top three on the grid at Silverstone for the first time ever, but aborted his final lap in Q3 before crossing the line.

"A little mistake on my part at the end, but still good," Norris said.

Championship leader Max Verstappen had to settle for fourth place after running slightly wide at Chapel on his final lap and will start ahead of the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri in fifth.

Nico Hulkenberg will start sixth for Haas ahead of the fastest Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, Alex Albon in ninth and Fernando Alonso in tenth.

Charles Leclerc missed out on a place in Q3 by 0.159 seconds as drivers improved in drying conditions right until the end of Q2.

The Ferrari driver will start ahead of Logan Sargeant's Williams in 12th, Yuki Tsunoda's RB in 13th, Zhou Guanyu's Sauber in 14th and the RB of Daniel Ricciardo in 15th.

The pressure continues to mount on Sergio Perez after he spun out of Q1 after switching from intermediate tyres to slicks. His Red Bull twitched mid corner, sending him wide onto the damp run off area and into the gravel, where his car became beached.

The Red Bull driver has scored just 15 points from the last five rounds and, despite news of a renewed contract ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, his position alongside Verstappen is looking increasingly fragile. He will line up 19th on the back row of the grid ahead Pierre Gasly, who was due to start from the back anyway due to an engine penalty.

Valtteri Bottas missed out on a place in Q2 by 0.502 seconds and will start 16th after struggling to hook together a competitive lap in mixed conditions at the end of Q1. Kevin Magnussen will start 17th for Haas ahead of Esteban Ocon in 18th and Perez and Gasly in 19th and 20th.