British GP 2025
JULY 5, 2025
Qualifying Report - Verstappen denies McLarens with late pole
© Red Bull
By Mark Karp
Max Verstappen delivered a statement lap at Silverstone to claim pole position for the British Grand Prix, fending off both McLaren drivers and a quartet of home favourites in a dramatic end to qualifying.
The reigning world champion produced a final effort of 1m24.892s to edge out Oscar Piastri by just 0.103s, with Lando Norris completing the top three after falling short by a further 0.015s. Despite McLaren appearing in control through practice and the early qualifying segments, Verstappen's final push overturned the narrative in emphatic style.
Piastri's front-row slot comes despite a small mistake on his final flying lap, while Norris — fastest in Q2 — will head the second row. George Russell ensured an all-British second row with P4, his 1m25.029s just 0.137s adrift of Verstappen.
Ferrari had shown signs of posing a threat earlier in the weekend, particularly with Lewis Hamilton topping FP1. But the seven-time British GP winner could only muster fifth on the grid after a scrappy final sector on his last attempt. Team-mate Charles Leclerc lines up sixth, narrowly behind by 0.026s.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman impressed by qualifying seventh and eighth respectively, but both will drop down the order due to existing penalties. Antonelli carries a three-place grid drop for his collision with Verstappen in Austria, while Bearman faces a 10-place penalty for a red flag infringement in Q1 — his second of the season.
Fernando Alonso was ninth quickest but benefits from the penalties to start seventh, lining up alongside Pierre Gasly, who rounded out the top 10 for Alpine with a strong late lap.
Carlos Sainz missed the cut in Q2 by a narrow margin and will start 11th, while Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon, and Isack Hadjar were also knocked out — although some will be elevated due to Antonelli and Bearman's demotions.
The most dramatic exit came from Franco Colapinto, whose error at the final corner ended his session early. Despite minimal contact, the car stopped on track and brought out a red flag, capping a miserable day for the under-pressure Argentine. Alpine's Flavio Briatore was visibly frustrated on the pit wall as Gasly outshone his teammate once again.
The stage is now set for an intense home Grand Prix with tight margins and plenty of strategic intrigue.