Max Verstappen makes a fifth consecutive pole position after British Grand Prix qualifying

As is so often the case on race weekends, reigning world champion Max Verstappen will start on pole, this time for the British Grand Prix.

On a drizzly day in Northamptonshire Verstappen looked unruffled – a tale as old as time this season.

There was one moment of raised eyebrows on his pit-wall when he understeered at the finish of Q1, seeing him clip the wall and break his front wing when returning into the garage.

But from there the two-time champion, with a patched wing, was setting purple fastest sector after purple fastest sector and took pole with a time of 1:26:720, narrowly edging out Lando Norris, who will join him on the front row.

The sea of papaya that is scattered among the record crowd at Silverstone over the weekend roared when Norris crossed the line and the Brit will fancy his chances in a drastically improved McLaren. His team-mate, Oscar Piastri, produced an impressive third.

Lando Norris made it competitive at the end but had to settle for a second-placed finish

Lewis Hamilyon fell to seventh during Q3, with teammate George Russell finishing sixth

‘Yeah baby!’ Norris exclaimed on team radio. This, in front of a home crowd, was one to savour for the emotional 23-year-old.

Verstappen’s pole, his fifth in a row, came as little surprise and, truthfully, neither did a frustrating session for Lewis Hamilton, who will start seventh.

The Mercedes driver spun off 75 seconds into qualifying, losing his rear tyres heading into Stowe, but damage was minimal and he avoided the ignominy of a Q1 exit.

That honour befell Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez, who will start Sunday’s race from 16th following a disastrous session.

Earlier, qualifying had been brought to a halt via a red flag with just over three minutes remaining in Q1 when Haas’ Kevin Magnussen stopped on track due to a mechanical fault.

And when action resumed, with Perez first out on track, the out-of-form Red Bull driver could do little to arrest his crisis of confidence, strengthening Verstappen’s grip on winning a third world title.

Nyck de Vries, Guanyu Zhou and Yuki Tsunoda were the other three drivers to fall in Q1.

Elsewhere it has been Williams that have been the talk of the paddock – aside from Brad Pitt and the Hollywood film crew shooting a movie – this weekend and they delivered.

Despite a shaky start to qualifying they rallied impressively and Alex Albon, who went second fastest in final practice, finished a smart 8th.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly finished 10th, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in ninth.