Verstappen seals pole as Hamilton fairytale Di… read more
Max Verstappen stunned the crowd at Silverstone by snatching pole position for the 2025 British Grand Prix, stealing what could have been a fairytale moment for Lewis Hamilton. Despite looking slightly off pace during Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions, Verstappen produced a sensational lap when it mattered most, putting his Red Bull at the front of the grid for Sunday’s race.
The Dutchman’s late surge denied home hero Hamilton a chance to start from the front row at his beloved Silverstone, a track where he’s seen immense success in the past. Hamilton had looked strong throughout qualifying and even topped the timesheets in Q2, raising hopes of a pole position in front of the British fans. However, he couldn’t hook up a clean lap in Q3 and ended up fifth, just behind Mercedes’ George Russell.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris locked out second and third for McLaren, continuing the team’s impressive form this season. Piastri narrowly edged his teammate and will start alongside Verstappen on the front row. The second row sees Norris joined by Russell, making it a promising starting lineup for British fans hoping for a podium on home soil.
Ferrari’s other driver, Charles Leclerc, will start from sixth behind Hamilton, while Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli placed seventh. However, Antonelli is set to drop three positions on the grid due to a penalty. Similarly, Ollie Bearman, who qualified eighth in his Haas, will serve a 10-place grid drop following an earlier incident. These penalties will shake up the starting order significantly.
Fernando Alonso put in a strong performance for Aston Martin and secured ninth, while Pierre Gasly completed the top 10 for Alpine. However, their starting positions may improve due to the grid penalties affecting those ahead of them.
Notably, Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was eliminated in Q2 and failed to reach Q3 for the sixth consecutive race weekend. He will start 12th, continuing a rough patch of form. Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, and Haas’ Esteban Ocon also dropped out in Q2.
Q1 brought early drama when Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto spun out dramatically, scattering gravel and colliding with the barriers. Although he managed to get his car moving again, he eventually stopped on track at Copse corner, triggering a red flag. Colapinto ended up 20th and last in qualifying. Others eliminated in Q1 include Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, and Nico Hulkenberg.
How F1 Qualifying Works:
F1 qualifying is split into three timed segments: Q1, Q2, and Q3. All 20 drivers take part in Q1, after which the slowest five are eliminated. The remaining 15 compete in Q2, where another five are knocked out. The top 10 then face off in Q3 in a high-stakes battle for pole position.
Verstappen’s pole lap adds further tension to what promises to be an electrifying British Grand Prix, especially with a tightly packed grid and multiple penalties set to shake things up.
