F1 British Grand Prix RESULT: Race results as Max Verstappen ...

Max Verstappen dented Lando Norris’ dream of a shock pole position at the British Grand Prix by taking top spot in the closing seconds of a dramatic qualifying session.

Norris surged to the summit of the order to the delight of the Silverstone crowd, only to see Verstappen snatch pole by 0.241 seconds as the last driver over the line.

Norris starts alongside Verstappen, who took his fifth consecutive pole, with Oscar Piastri third on an excellent day for McLaren at the British team’s home race.

Lewis Hamilton could manage only seventh, one place behind George Russell in the other Mercedes.

F1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX VERSTAPPEN WINS BRITISH GRAND PRIX

16:35 , Ben Fleming

Here is how the top ten rounded out in the end:

1. Max Verstappen

2. Lando Norris

3. Lewis Hamilton

4. Oscar Piastri

5. George Russell

6. Sergio Perez

7. Fernando Alonso

8. Alex Albon

9. Charles Leclerc

10. Carlos Sainz

VERSTAPPEN WINS BRITISH GRAND PRIX

16:33 , Ben Fleming

He lost the lead on the first turn but once he regained the lead in the fifth lap, it was very comfortable for the Red Bull driver who notes up yet another win this year.

“Really good race guys, Max says over the radio. “That last stint was a bit more difficult than I would have liked with the tyres but overall good race.”

It’s Red Bull’s first win at Silverstone since 2012 and gives the team their 11th consecutive win, equalling McLaren’s record.

Lando Norris takes a superb and well-deserved second-place finish after a fantastic drive while Lewis Hamilton secures yet another podium in his home race, finishing third.

Final Lap

16:29 , Ben Fleming

Hamilton informs his team that his back tyres have gone, his pursuit of Norris is done for the day and the McLaren should hold on for a fantastic second place.

Verstappen closes in on his first British Grand Prix victory.

Penalty for Stroll (Lap 51/52)

16:27 , Ben Fleming

The Aston Martin driver gets a five-second penalty for that collision with Gasly earlier.

One lap to go.

Two laps to go, Verstappen leads by 3 seconds (Lap 50/52)

16:25 , Ben Fleming

Verstappen has been cruising since the restart and leads by nearly 3.5 seconds ith just two laps to go.

Final warnings for Norris and Russell (Lap 49/52)

16:24 , Ben Fleming

The British duo are both served the black-and-white flag for track limits. One more breach from either and they will get a five-second penalty which would be devastating, especially for Norris.

Gasly DNFs (Lap 48/52)

16:23 , Ben Fleming

A race to forget for Alpune as both their cars have now had to retire. An investigation is underway for the collision between Gasly and Stroll.

Perez into sixth, problems for Gasly (Lap 47/52)

16:22 , Ben Fleming

Sergio Perez started slow but he’s done really well since the restart and is now up into sixth as he eases past Alonso.

Elsewhere on the track, there are problems for Alpine and Gasly with the Frenchman dropping way down the leaderboard after a coming together with Stroll seems to have damaged the car’s suspension.

Norris holds lead over Hamilton (Lap 45/52)

16:18 , Ben Fleming

Norris wasn’t sure about it but the hard-tyre gamble seems to have paid off for the McLaren driver. It was tricky at first after the restart but he now leads by 1.4 seconds over Hamilton with seven laps remaining.

Perez into seventh (Lap 44/52)

16:17 , Ben Fleming

Sainz tumbles down the leaderboard within the space of a few turns as Perez, Albon and team-mate, Leclerc, all overtake him.

The Red Bull driver is up into seventh now.

Stroll overtakes Gasly illegally (Lap 42/52)

16:14 , Ben Fleming

The Aston Martin driver went off the track to overtake Pierre Gasly and has to immediately relent the position.

Up at the front Verstappen isn’t happy with the soft tyres: “They don’t feel very good,” he says over the team radio.

Norris still fighting (Lap 41/52)

16:12 , Ben Fleming

“That McLaren is so fast on those hards, impressive,” says Russell over the team radio. Lando Norris certainly doing a sterling job of holding off Hamilton as they nearly touch on a couple of occasions.

Verstappen has a lead of over 2.5 seconds ahead of those two.

Great work by Norris to stay second (Lap 39/52)

16:10 , Ben Fleming

DRS isn’t back for another lap but Norris has a real fight as he looks to warm up his hard tyres. It’s excellent defence in the meantime to stay in second place as Hamilton continues to attack.

Back underway (Lap 39/52)

16:08 , Ben Fleming

The safety car clears the track and we are back underway. Hamilton starts well and he is breathing down the neck of Norris as we hit the 39th lap.

Norris less than pleased with hard tyres (Lap 36/52)

16:05 , Ben Fleming

“Wonderful,” Norris chirps back somewhat ironically to his team via the radio when he’s informed that most of those behind him are on soft or medium tyres. The McLaren driver is on the hard tyres and looks like he’ll have a real task on his hands to keep his second-place position.

Top ten as things stand

16:00 , Ben Fleming

A couple of laps at least remaining with the safety car deployed. Here are the top ten as things stand:

Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton, Piastri, Russel, Alonso, Sainz, Perez, Albon, Leclerc.

Full safety car deployed (Lap 34/52)

15:57 , Ben Fleming

The full safety car is deployed and everyone heading into the pits now with plenty of soft tyres going onto the cars.

Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton are three of those who pit and the Mercedes driver is now up into third after those busy couple of laps.

Interestingly, Norris and McLaren opt for the hard tyres - that could be an interesting decision.

Engine failure for Magnussen (Lap 33/52)

15:55 , Ben Fleming

The Haas driver has smoke coming from his car and a virtual safety car is declared. Albon and Leclerc dive into the pits as a result.

Kevin Magnussen’s car catches fire in scary flashpoint at British Grand Prix

Russell overtakes Leclerc

15:53 , Ben Fleming

The Brit is onto the medium tyres and does a great job to overtake around the outside of the Ferrari on turn seven to move Russell into seventh.

Piastri pits, down to sixth (Lap 30/52)

15:50 , Ben Fleming

It’s the key part of the race now as several cars go into the pits. McLaren and Piastri are the latest to do so with the Australian resuming in sixth place on the hard tyres.

Russell pits, resumes in ninth (Lap 29/52)

15:49 , Ben Fleming

And there goes Russell into the pits. It’s pretty slow from Mercedes and he resumes in ninth on the medium tyres but frustratingly behind Leclerc.

Sainz pits, Hamilton into top five (Lap 28/52)

15:47 , Ben Fleming

The Ferrari is told to come in and resumes in 12th on the hard tyres. Hamilton moves into the top five with Russell ahead of him in fourth and still on the soft tyres.

Verstappen leads at halfway stage (Lap 26/52)

15:45 , Ben Fleming

Verstappen nearly up to a seven-second lead as we reach the halfway point. The top ten currently is:

Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Russell, Sainz, Hamilton, Alonso, Gasly, Perez, Albon.

Reason for Ocon retirment revealed (Lap 24/52)

15:41 , Ben Fleming

The Alpine team have confirmed that a hydraulic leak was the reason behind Ocon’s retirement.

Back on the track, Verstappen sets a new fastest lap (1:32.184) as his lead closes in on six seconds. Elsewhere, Gasly is closing in on Alonso in seventh with Hamilton slowly gaining ground on Sainz in fifth.

Verstappen’s lead beyond four seconds (Lap 20/52)

15:35 , Ben Fleming

It’s business as usual for Verstappen now as his lead over Norris is comfortably beyond four seconds now. Piastri remains in third with Russell, one of two drivers still on the softs, sitting in fourth.

McLaren check in with Norris over the team radio with the Brit saying he can maintain his current pace

Sainz onto “plan B” as Leclerc pits (Lap 18/52)

15:33 , Ben Fleming

Carlos Sainz can’t remember what it means but the Spaniard is told via the team radio that he’s moving to plan B. A different tyre strategy, one suspects, as his team-mate Charles Leclerc heads into the pits.

Perez into top ten (Lap 17/52)

15:31 , Ben Fleming

Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate is also making his way up the leaderboard as he moves past Albon and into the top ten which currently looks like:

Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Sainz, Hamilton, Alonso, Gasly, Perez.

Verstappen’s lead increasing (Lap 16/52)

15:29 , Ben Fleming

The Dutch driver’s advantage over Norris is now up around 3.5 seconds and that first-turn hiccup appears firmly in the rear-view mirror for Verstappen.

Russell closing in on Leclerc (Lap 14/52)

15:27 , Ben Fleming

The Ferrari driver is making no indent into Piastri’s lead over him but is being slowly but surely closed down by Russell behind him. The Mercedes is trailing by around half a second.

Lower down the leaderboard, Tsunoda heads in for a pit as light drizzle begins to come down.

Perez moving through the field (Lap 13/52)

15:24 , Ben Fleming

The Red Bull driver is up into 11th as he overtakes Stroll. Ahead of him in the top ten is:

Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Russell, Sainz, Hamilton, Alonso, Gasly, Albon.

Rain incoming (Lap 11/52)

15:21 , Ben Fleming

Over the Red Bull radio, Verstappen is informed that he should expect some light rain in a few minutes. By the sounds of it, it should sweep through pretty quickly.

The Red Bull driver now has a 1.4 second lead over Norris in second.

Ocon retires from race (Lap 10/52)

15:20 , Kieran Jackson

Estaban Ocon’s British Grand Prix is done after just ten laps as he heads into the pit. That’s a real shame for the Alpine driver.

Damage for Hulkenberg (Lap 8/52)

15:17 , Ben Fleming

Sergio Perez makes contact with Nico Hulkenberg and the Haas driver has to pit with damage to his front wing. That’s a real shame for the German who will have to adapt his race strategy altogether.

Hamilton overtakes Alonso (Lap 8/52)

15:15 , Ben Fleming

It was a poor start for the Brit but he has recovered nicely and takes full advantage of the Wellington Straight to move ahead of the Spaniard and into seventh.

Leclerc losing time on Piastri (Lap 7/52)

15:14 , Ben Fleming

The Ferrari driver would have wanted to have made some early gains on the McLaren in P3 but he finds himself around three seconds behind Piastri through seven laps.

Verstappen back in the lead (Lap 5/52)

15:12 , Ben Fleming

DRS comes into play and the Red Bull driver reclaims his place at the head of the race on the Wellington Straight. Not sure there was a whole lot Lando could have done there.

Lando Norris leads (Lap 3/52)

15:10 , Ben Fleming

Lando Norris is leading a grand prix for the first time since Sochi in 2021 but his lead has already been halved by the Red Bull driver who is within DRS range.

Verstappen’s team-mate, Perez is yet to make any early inroads and remains in 15th after his poor qualifying.

Lando Norris leads (Lap 2/52)

15:06 , Ben Fleming

Piastri misses an opportunity to overtake Verstappen midway through the first lap and the Red Bull driver has not had the first lap he would have wanted.

It’s also a poor start for Hamilton who drops two places further back into eighth.

LIGHTS OUT! (Lap 1/52)

15:05 , Ben Fleming

Away we go! How will Verstappen and Norris get away on the front row? Well, it’s an electric start from the Brit as he takes the lead into the first turn which is greeted with a roar from the crowds at Silverstone.

Moments away

15:02 , Ben Fleming

Most drivers opt for the medium tyres. George Russell, in sixth, is one of the few that have decided to go with the soft tyres from the off. Ocon also uses the softs.

The formation lap is underway as clouds loom in the distance.

STARTING GRID FOR THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX:

14:58 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen

2) Lando Norris

3) Oscar Piastri

4) Charles Leclerc

5) Carlos Sainz

6) George Russell

7) Lewis Hamilton

8) Alex Albon

9) Fernando Alonso

10) Pierre Gasly

11) Nico Hulkenberg

12) Lance Stroll

13) Esteban Ocon

14) Logan Sargeant

15) Sergio Perez

16) Yuki Tsunoda

17) Zhou Guanyu

18) Nyck De Vries

19) Kevin Magnussen

20) Valtteri Bottas*

*Bottas, who qualified 15th, starts from the back after being disqualified from qualifying because the FIA were unable to collect a fuel sample from his Alfa Romeo car

Racing coming up shortly

14:52 , Ben Fleming

Damian Lewis sings his version of the national anthem which means only one thing. The race is just minutes away!

Here are the Driver Standings ahead of the race:

14:50 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 229 points

2) Sergio Perez - 148 points

3) Fernando Alonso - 129 points

4) Lewis Hamilton - 108 points

5) Carlos Sainz - 86 points

6) Charles Leclerc - 72 points

7) George Russell - 70 points

8) Lance Stroll - 43 points

9) Esteban Ocon - 31 points

10) Lando Norris - 22 points

11) Pierre Gasly - 17 points

12) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

13) Alex Albon - 7 points

14) Oscar Piastri - 5 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 5 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 2 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 2 points

19) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

20) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

Zak Brown, McClaren CEO, speaking to Sky Sports

14:46 , Ben Fleming

“We are excited. We have to keep our feet on the ground. It’s so nice to see the team take such a nice turn in Austria.

“All the men and women have done such a good job. A difficult start to the year, so this is a nice reward for them. Hopefully, we can finish with a couple of cars on the podium but it will be tough.

“Judging by how Lando Norris pulled out of the garage I think he’s going to go for it. But I think we have to be realistic. Max Verstappen is in a league of his own at the moment but we are going to give it everything we have got.”

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes struggle as British Grand Prix gets Hollywood sprinkling

14:35 , Ben Fleming

It was another disappointing qualifying for the Mercedes drivers with Hamilton and Russell lining up today in seventh and sixth respectively. Hamilton has been pretty candid about his thoughts on the car throughout the season and this week has been no different.

“It’s a tough car to drive,” stated a brutally honest and demoralised Hamilton. “On a single lap, I didn’t feel any improvement between tyres which shows something is wrong. So we’re missing something. It didn’t feel particularly great.

“Me and George were just talking and we’re at different sides with the set-up – we’ll try and do something tonight and hopefully we’ll come up with something for tomorrow.”

Read more from Kieran Jackson below:

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes struggle as British Grand Prix gets Hollywood sprinkling

Tyre strategy crucial

14:20 , Ben Fleming

As ever, tyre strategy will play a huge role in today’s race. Teams have the choice of the C1, C2 and C3 tyres with the choice between a one or two-stop race something that every driver and team will have to mull over.

Lando Norris speaking to Sky Sports

14:14 , Ben Fleming

The McLaren driver receives a hero’s welcome from his home fans as he prepares to start second on the grid today.

“I’m thankful there are so many fans. It’s so special for all of us. I will try and do them proud today,” he said.

“We had a great weekend in Austria. We weren’t expecting to be as good here. We have a good chance of getting a good result today and you might see me standing on a step somewhere.”

Toto Wolff reacts after qualifying:

14:07 , Kieran Jackson

George Russell qualified sixth; Lewis Hamilton seventh.

Max Verstappen pips Lando Norris to pole position at British Grand Prix

13:58 , Kieran Jackson

Qualifying report

Max Verstappen dented Lando Norris’ dream of a shock pole position at the British Grand Prix by taking top spot in the closing seconds of a dramatic qualifying session.

Norris surged to the summit of the order to the delight of the Silverstone crowd, only to see Verstappen snatch pole by 0.241 seconds as the last driver over the line.

Norris starts alongside Verstappen, who took his fifth consecutive pole, with Oscar Piastri third on an excellent day for McLaren at the British team’s home race.

Lewis Hamilton could manage only seventh, one place behind George Russell in the other Mercedes.

Max Verstappen pips Lando Norris to pole position at British Grand Prix

STARTING GRID FOR THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX:

13:47 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen

2) Lando Norris

3) Oscar Piastri

4) Charles Leclerc

5) Carlos Sainz

6) George Russell

7) Lewis Hamilton

8) Alex Albon

9) Fernando Alonso

10) Pierre Gasly

11) Nico Hulkenberg

12) Lance Stroll

13) Esteban Ocon

14) Logan Sargeant

15) Sergio Perez

16) Yuki Tsunoda

17) Zhou Guanyu

18) Nyck De Vries

19) Kevin Magnussen

20) Valtteri Bottas*

*Bottas, who qualified 15th, starts from the back after being disqualified from qualifying because the FIA were unable to collect a fuel sample from his Alfa Romeo car

Drivers Parade in full swing at Silverstone!

13:36 , Kieran Jackson

F1 British Grand Prix: Race day at Silverstone!

13:30 , Kieran Jackson

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the British Grand Prix with The Independent!

Max Verstappen starts on pole position after the world championship leader pipped Lando Norris to a sensational pole on Saturday on what was a memorable day for McLaren,

Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri starts in P3, with Lewis Hamilton all the way down in seventh.

Lights out is at 3pm (BST) - stay right here for all the build-up from Silverstone!

British Grand Prix: 20 years since Irish ‘lunatic’ invaded the track at Silverstone

13:14 , Kieran Jackson

Exclusive by Kieran Jackson

“Oh my goodness me!” screamed ITV’s lead Formula 1 commentator James Allen, words struggling to comprehend the sheer craziness of what was being witnessed. “We’ve got a lunatic on the track!”

When a group of protestors from Just Stop Oil invaded the circuit last year during the opening lap of the British Grand Prix, it wasn’t Silverstone’s first run-in with track invaders. Contrarily, 20 years ago, the 2003 British Grand Prix was 10 laps in before deranged Irish priest Neil Horan sprinted up the fiercely quick Hangar Straight.

Many drivers had to swerve to avoid him as Horan, dressed in a brown kilt, madly ran into the racing line of F1 cars speeding at 200mph while waving banners which read: “Read the bible” and “The Bible is always right.”

Full piece below:

British Grand Prix: 20 years since Irish ‘lunatic’ invaded the track at Silverstone

All the drivers have arrived at Silverstone!

13:06 , Kieran Jackson

It’s a record Silverstone crowd this weekend - 480,000 - and they’re out in full force to support the Brits today!

Lewis Hamilton’s reaction after qualifying:

12:58 , Kieran Jackson

Here’s the Constructors’ Standings ahead of the weekend:

12:44 , Kieran Jackson

1) Red Bull - 377 points

2) Mercedes - 178 points

3) Aston Martin - 172 points

4) Ferrari - 158 points

5) Alpine - 48 points

6) McLaren - 27 points

7) Haas - 11 points

8) Alfa Romeo - 9 points

9) Williams - 7 points

10) AlphaTauri - 2 points

British Grand Prix preview - Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes struggle as British Grand Prix gets Hollywood sprinkling

12:28 , Kieran Jackson

By Kieran Jackson at Silverstone

On a Silverstone weekend where the presence of Brad Pitt and the Apple Studios crew is the talk of the town, the as of yet untitled Formula 1 film’s executive producer – the sport’s very own A-lister – struggled at his spiritual home on Friday.

Lewis Hamilton remains without a win in 19 months since Saudi Arabia in the penultimate round of the 2021 season. Last year, a thrilling British Grand Prix won by Carlos Sainz saw the eight-time winner come close, but the 38-year-old remains on an unprecedented winless streak.

This weekend, despite Mercedes bringing an upgraded front-wing, the practice pace simply wasn’t there for Hamilton or his team-mate George Russell. In both sessions, both drivers finished outside the top-10.

Full report below:

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes struggle as British Grand Prix gets Hollywood sprinkling

STARTING GRID FOR THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX:

12:19 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen

2) Lando Norris

3) Oscar Piastri

4) Charles Leclerc

5) Carlos Sainz

6) George Russell

7) Lewis Hamilton

8) Alex Albon

9) Fernando Alonso

10) Pierre Gasly

11) Nico Hulkenberg

12) Lance Stroll

13) Esteban Ocon

14) Logan Sargeant

15) Sergio Perez

16) Yuki Tsunoda

17) Zhou Guanyu

18) Nyck De Vries

19) Kevin Magnussen

20) Valtteri Bottas*

*Bottas, who qualified 15th, starts from the back after being disqualified from qualifying because the FIA were unable to collect a fuel sample from his Alfa Romeo car

British Grand Prix: 20 years since Irish ‘lunatic’ invaded the track at Silverstone

11:23 , Kieran Jackson

Exclusive by Kieran Jackson

“Oh my goodness me!” screamed ITV’s lead Formula 1 commentator James Allen, words struggling to comprehend the sheer craziness of what was being witnessed. “We’ve got a lunatic on the track!”

When a group of protestors from Just Stop Oil invaded the circuit last year during the opening lap of the British Grand Prix, it wasn’t Silverstone’s first run-in with track invaders. Contrarily, 20 years ago, the 2003 British Grand Prix was 10 laps in before deranged Irish priest Neil Horan sprinted up the fiercely quick Hangar Straight.

Many drivers had to swerve to avoid him as Horan, dressed in a brown kilt, madly ran into the racing line of F1 cars speeding at 200mph while waving banners which read: “Read the bible” and “The Bible is always right.”

Full piece below:

British Grand Prix: 20 years since Irish ‘lunatic’ invaded the track at Silverstone

Here are the Driver Standings ahead of this weekend:

10:56 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 229 points

2) Sergio Perez - 148 points

3) Fernando Alonso - 129 points

4) Lewis Hamilton - 108 points

5) Carlos Sainz - 86 points

6) Charles Leclerc - 72 points

7) George Russell - 70 points

8) Lance Stroll - 43 points

9) Esteban Ocon - 31 points

10) Lando Norris - 22 points

11) Pierre Gasly - 17 points

12) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

13) Alex Albon - 7 points

14) Oscar Piastri - 5 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 5 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 2 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 2 points

19) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

20) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

Max Verstappen pips Lando Norris to pole position at British Grand Prix

10:27 , Kieran Jackson

Qualifying report

Max Verstappen dented Lando Norris’ dream of a shock pole position at the British Grand Prix by taking top spot in the closing seconds of a dramatic qualifying session.

Norris surged to the summit of the order to the delight of the Silverstone crowd, only to see Verstappen snatch pole by 0.241 seconds as the last driver over the line.

Norris starts alongside Verstappen, who took his fifth consecutive pole, with Oscar Piastri third on an excellent day for McLaren at the British team’s home race.

Lewis Hamilton could manage only seventh, one place behind George Russell in the other Mercedes.

Max Verstappen pips Lando Norris to pole position at British Grand Prix

Here’s the Constructors’ Standings ahead of the weekend:

10:02 , Kieran Jackson

1) Red Bull - 377 points

2) Mercedes - 178 points

3) Aston Martin - 172 points

4) Ferrari - 158 points

5) Alpine - 48 points

6) McLaren - 27 points

7) Haas - 11 points

8) Alfa Romeo - 9 points

9) Williams - 7 points

10) AlphaTauri - 2 points

British Grand Prix preview - Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes struggle as British Grand Prix gets Hollywood sprinkling

09:40 , Kieran Jackson

By Kieran Jackson at Silverstone

On a Silverstone weekend where the presence of Brad Pitt and the Apple Studios crew is the talk of the town, the as of yet untitled Formula 1 film’s executive producer – the sport’s very own A-lister – struggled at his spiritual home on Friday.

Lewis Hamilton remains without a win in 19 months since Saudi Arabia in the penultimate round of the 2021 season. Last year, a thrilling British Grand Prix won by Carlos Sainz saw the eight-time winner come close, but the 38-year-old remains on an unprecedented winless streak.

This weekend, despite Mercedes bringing an upgraded front-wing, the practice pace simply wasn’t there for Hamilton or his team-mate George Russell. In both sessions, both drivers finished outside the top-10.

Full report below:

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes struggle as British Grand Prix gets Hollywood sprinkling

If McLaren could, they would...

09:22 , Kieran Jackson

British Grand Prix: 20 years since Irish ‘lunatic’ invaded the track at Silverstone

09:09 , Kieran Jackson

Exclusive by Kieran Jackson

“Oh my goodness me!” screamed ITV’s lead Formula 1 commentator James Allen, words struggling to comprehend the sheer craziness of what was being witnessed. “We’ve got a lunatic on the track!”

When a group of protestors from Just Stop Oil invaded the circuit last year during the opening lap of the British Grand Prix, it wasn’t Silverstone’s first run-in with track invaders. Contrarily, 20 years ago, the 2003 British Grand Prix was 10 laps in before deranged Irish priest Neil Horan sprinted up the fiercely quick Hangar Straight.

Many drivers had to swerve to avoid him as Horan, dressed in a brown kilt, madly ran into the racing line of F1 cars speeding at 200mph while waving banners which read: “Read the bible” and “The Bible is always right.”

Full piece below:

British Grand Prix: 20 years since Irish ‘lunatic’ invaded the track at Silverstone

Here are the Driver Standings ahead of this weekend:

08:48 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen - 229 points

2) Sergio Perez - 148 points

3) Fernando Alonso - 129 points

4) Lewis Hamilton - 108 points

5) Carlos Sainz - 86 points

6) Charles Leclerc - 72 points

7) George Russell - 70 points

8) Lance Stroll - 43 points

9) Esteban Ocon - 31 points

10) Lando Norris - 22 points

11) Pierre Gasly - 17 points

12) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points

13) Alex Albon - 7 points

14) Oscar Piastri - 5 points

15) Valtteri Bottas - 5 points

16) Zhou Guanyu - 4 points

17) Yuki Tsunoda - 2 points

18) Kevin Magnussen - 2 points

19) Nyck de Vries - 0 points

20) Logan Sargeant - 0 points

Sergio Perez reacts to his shock elimination in Q1 on Saturday

08:29 , Kieran Jackson

STARTING GRID FOR THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX:

08:15 , Kieran Jackson

1) Max Verstappen

2) Lando Norris

3) Oscar Piastri

4) Charles Leclerc

5) Carlos Sainz

6) George Russell

7) Lewis Hamilton

8) Alex Albon

9) Fernando Alonso

10) Pierre Gasly

11) Nico Hulkenberg

12) Lance Stroll

13) Esteban Ocon

14) Logan Sargeant

15) Valtteri Bottas

16) Sergio Perez

17) Yuki Tsunoda

18) Zhou Guanyu

19) Nyck De Vries

20) Kevin Magnussen

Max Verstappen pips Lando Norris to pole position at British Grand Prix

08:05 , Kieran Jackson

Qualifying report

Max Verstappen dented Lando Norris’ dream of a shock pole position at the British Grand Prix by taking top spot in the closing seconds of a dramatic qualifying session.

Norris surged to the summit of the order to the delight of the Silverstone crowd, only to see Verstappen snatch pole by 0.241 seconds as the last driver over the line.

Norris starts alongside Verstappen, who took his fifth consecutive pole, with Oscar Piastri third on an excellent day for McLaren at the British team’s home race.

Lewis Hamilton could manage only seventh, one place behind George Russell in the other Mercedes.

Max Verstappen pips Lando Norris to pole position at British Grand Prix

F1 British Grand Prix: Race day at Silverstone!

08:01 , Kieran Jackson

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the British Grand Prix with The Independent!

Max Verstappen starts on pole position after the world championship leader pipped Lando Norris to a sensational pole on Saturday on what was a memorable day for McLaren,

Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri starts in P3, with Lewis Hamilton all the way down in seventh.

Lights out is at 3pm (BST) - stay right here for all the build-up from Silverstone!