George Russell pips Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris to British Grand Prix pole in historic qualifying
George Russell beat Lewis Hamilton to pole at Silverstone
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George Russell took pole ahead of compatriots Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris in an enthralling British Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
The 2024 F1 season started how the last campaign ended with Red Bull out in front and dominating with Max Verstappen the man to beat.
But their rival teams have managed to close the gap in recent months with Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren all fighting with Verstappen at the front of the grid.
It set up a fascinating weekend at Silverstone with nothing to really separate the four teams heading into a weather-affected British Grand Prix.
George Russell beat Lewis Hamilton to pole at Silverstone
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The rain managed to hold off in a highly competitive Q3 session with both Mercedes drivers setting the pace early.
Hamilton put his car on provisional pole after his second flying lap, but Russell managed to go even quicker than his team-mate to beat him once again in qualifying.
Norris aborted his lap after failing to go quicker in the first few sectors, but did enough to put his car third on the grid.
Verstappen could only manage fourth, setting up a mouthwatering fight for Sunday's race.
Hamilton was full of praise for his team-mate after qualifying and is hopeful of a Mercedes win tomorrow.
"I’m so proud to be here with three Brits in the top three is incredible," he said.
"A huge congratulations to George – he did such a great job.
"We definitely didn’t expect to be front row this weekend but this is huge for us, for our team. The car felt fantastic out there.
Lewis Hamilton is hopeful of a Mercedes win at Silverstone
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"So everyone in the garage, all our team that have come here really deserve this.
"The car felt great it was just about getting the tyre temperatures at the right place and sealing the deal when you had the time on track.
"I think I was able to do that. I think ultimately there was still time left on the table, which George was able to find.
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Lando Norris could be Mercedes' biggest challenger on Sunday
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"But I feel really confident about the car tomorrow and I think with the conditions we have, we can work together to keep Lando behind."
Russell said: "What a feeling! At the start of this year we couldn't have dreamt of being on pole here.
"One-two for me and Lewis, Lando P3. Just mega. It's down to all these fans as well. They give us so much energy.