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Max Verstappen scored his seventh pole of 2023, and fifth consecutive. The Dutchman set a 1:26.720 to deny McLaren’s Lando Norris a popular home pole position.
F1 British GP Qualifying: Who Will be on Pole?
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Max Verstappen will be on pole for the British GP. The reigning two-time champion beat a surprising Lando Norris to secure his fifth consecutive pole position. McLaren was the highlight of the day, with Norris securing his third front row start, and the first in over two years. Rookie OScar Piastri secured a career-best third on the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Sergio Perez was eliminated in Q1, failing to make it to Q3 for yet another weekend.
Q1: Norris Leads, Another Disaster for Perez
The session started on a damp track, and the majority of the field opted for slicks. Only one lap in and it became clear that the dry tyres were the best option available.
Lewis Hamilton had a spin early on, and was one of many drivers to struggle for grip in the cooler conditions. Logan Sargeant also had a big off, briefly catching some air with his Williams.
Kevin Magnussen suffered a mechanical failure and stopped on track with just over three minutes to go, triggering a red flag and setting up a late shootout.
As the cars headed back on track, Verstappen had a bit of a moment and hit the wall while exiting the garage, breaking his Red Bull’s front wing. That didn’t hinder him that much though, and the two-time champion quickly returned to action after replacing the damaged piece.
In a frantic ending to the session, Perez was the first driver out of the pits, which proved to be a major error. The Mexican driver briefly went to the top of the sheets. But as the track improved behind him and times tumbled, the Red Bull driver suddenly found himself on the outside looking in. Perez could only watch as his name dropped like a stone down the order. The current points runner-up fell down to 16th and found himself eliminated before Q3 for the fifth weekend in a row.
Joining Perez in the bottom 5 were Guanyu Zhou, Kevin Magnussen and the AlphaTauri duo Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries.
Q2: Verstappen on Top, McLaren Continues to Impress
The sun was fully out as Q2 went green. Alonso led Albon in the first run, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz following.
Times continued to tumble as the cars laid down rubber on the green track. Hamilton and Norris briefly went top, sending the home crowd into a roar. But it was Verstappen who topped the session in the end. Having only managed seventh through his first two runs, the Dutchman did his first proper push lap and displaced Norris by just over three tenths. Oscar Piastri set a late flyer to go second, making it two McLarens in the top 3.
Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Logan Sargeant and Valtteri Bottas did not make it to Q3.
Q3: Verstappen Pips Norris to Pole
Verstappen was quick to send a message to the opposition, laying down the fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:27.084. The Dutchman was six tenths quicker than Hamilton, his closest challenger.
Verstappen looked set to secure pole with his banker lap, as Leclerc, Sainz and Russell all fell short in their second attempt. But a surprising lap from Norris, who had only managed 10th in his first run, suddenly put McLaren in a surprising provisional pole. It didn’t last long, however, and with a 1:26.720, Verstappen secured the top spot by 0.241s.
Leclerc, Sainz, Hamilton, Albon, Alonso and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.
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