F1

Subterms

    More stories

    • 238 Shares99 Views

      in Motorsport

      F1 British Grand Prix sprint race qualifying LIVE: Latest with new format UNDERWAY – Hamilton starts ahead of Verstappen

      by

      SILVERSTONE is packed with F1 fans ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix.We’ve a weekend of exciting racing ahead, with Lewis Hamilton looking to continue his stunning record at this track and stop the Red Bull charge.
      And the Brit champion has pole for today’s sprint race after a terrific drive during qualifying.

      TV/Live stream: Sky Sports F1/NOW TV
      Saturday, July 17: Practice 3 (12pm), Sprint race (4.30pm)
      Sunday, July 18: Grand Prix (3pm)

      F1 betting offer: GET HAMILTON AT 45/1 TO WIN THE BRITISH GP*(MOBILE ONLY)

      Follow ALL the action from Silverstone with our live blog below…
      FORMATION LAP
      The drivers cruise around Silverstone to allow the grid to clear for this 17-lap showdown.
      WHO’S GONNA DO IT?!
      Huge anticipation for this sprint qualifying event. Will it be an epic, changing the state of F1 as we know it? A flop? Or something in between..?

      SPRINT QUALIFYING GRID
      A reminder of how the front of the pack sets up for the sprint event in ten minutes’ time…
      1. HAM2. VER3. BOT4. LEC5. PER6. NOR7. RIC8. RUS9. SAI10. VET
      FAN-DEMONIUM
      There are 140,000 fans across Silverstone today with Lewis Hamilton well backed for the win in sprint qualifying.
      A wealth of papaya can be seen too, supporting McLaren, and arguably the biggest roar yesterday was for George Russell after his stunning qualifying run.
      Credit: Reuters
      NOT LONG TO WAIT
      The first-ever F1 sprint qualifying is almost upon us.
      Just a reminder: This 100km race will last 17 laps, or around half an hour, and will decide the grid for tomorrow’s race.
      The top three will win points for the main championship – and Lewis Hamilton starts on pole.
      Credit: EPA
      VER-Y GOOD
      We have the first (and maybe only?) Dutch driver named VER to win today.
      That’s because Richard Verschoor has claimed the second F2 sprint race.
      The first half of the race was spent almost entirely under the safety car after two incidents left a handful of drivers stranded.
      British youngster Dan Ticktum makes up some ground in the title fight with third place here at Silverstone.
      CRASH IN F2
      An early safety car after a hefty smash on Lap 1 of the Formula 2 sprint race.
      Ralph Boschung caught the grass ahead of the Wellington Straight and spun back across the track, collecting Alessio Deledda and wiping them both out of the race.

      TURN IT UP
      A Ferrari darting through Silverstone in glorious sunshine with packed grandstands… is there a better sight?

      PLENTY OF ACTION
      Lots going on here at Silverstone.
      A pair of Spitfires have just flown over the track in a Battle of Britain display and in 20 minutes the second Formula 2 race of the day starts.
      W SERIES JOY FOR POWELL
      Alice Powell has claimed victory in the W Series race at Silverstone to go top of the championship.
      Qualifying on pole yesterday, the Brit struggled off the line but fought back to take the lead off Fabienne Wohlwend with a stunning overtake at Club.
      Jamie Chadwick comes home third to relinquish her lead in the title fight, with the next race in Hungary two weeks from today.
      Powell tells team radio: “Thank you guys, oh my days. What a great crowd.”

      CHRISTIAN HORNER EXCLUSIVE
      Red Bull chief Christian Horner has revealed to SunSport’s Ben Hunt how he beat Mercedes to youth prodigy Max Verstappen.
      He tells us: “It was at Hockenheim in 2014 and I went for dinner with Helmut Marko.
      “He was saying how Niki Lauda was trying to sign Max for Mercedes and he was asking me my thoughts.
      “Once I knew that, I said, ‘sure, let’s go for it. It is something Mercedes cannot offer him’.”
      Check out the full interview here.
      SESSION DONE – VERSTAPPEN LEADS THE WAY
      Advantage Red Bull? Hold on, remember this was just a warm up. Nothing won here, we still have the sprint race later on.
      But that is still encouraging for Red Bull, who have made changes over night.
      Mercedes could have their work cut out.
      Ferrari in 2 and 3 in what was a good session for the Italian team.

      GREAT TO SEE FULL STANDS HERE AT SILVERSTONE
      A crowd of 140,000 is expected today. Another 140,000 tomorrow. HUGE numbers.

      UNDER 10 MINUTES ON THE CLOCK
      And the running order is: Verstappen, Leclerc, Sainz, Ocon, Perez, Norris, Ricciardo, Hamilton, Bottas and Gasly for your top 10.

      HAMILTON WANTS TO SAVE HIS ENGINE
      He’s asked his race engineer to turn the engine down, effectively preserving its life.
      However, Merc say they want to keep running at that power as the data they are gathering is proving useful.
      MAX IS BACK
      The Red Bull man is top of the time sheets again. And look at those sector times. He is quick everywhere.

      A LITTLE OVER 20 MINUTES INTO THE SESSION
      Verstappen leads Perez in a Red Bull 1-2.
      Esteban Ocon is currently P3. Bottas P4, Mazepin in P5 and Hamilton in P6.
      But this session is not necessarily reflective of pace – more of an experiment.
      BIG CHEERS FOR RUSSELL
      The Williams driver was eight in qualifying yesterday, as he reached Q3 for the second time running.
      He was treated to a big cheer as he took to the track for the first time on Saturday.
      He will have to wait a few weeks though until he discovers if he will be partnering Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year.

      LEWIS HAMILTON IS GETTING READY TO HEAD OUT
      The world champion took pole for the sprint race, beating Max Verstappen by just 0.075seconds in qualifying.
      Can he take that slender advantage into this session?
      GREEN LIGHT – FP2 FOR THE BRITISH GP IS GO
      Now, not too get your hopes up, but this is likely to be a 60 minute tyre test.
      But it is ok, the good stuff is coming later, with F1’s first sprint race to select the grid for the British GP.

      SPRINT FINISH
      Lewis Hamilton is fired up for today’s sprint race and has vowed to take the new concept very seriously – with points on offer for the top three finishers.
      He said after qualifying: “It’s just all guns blazing,
      “I need to bring out the lion tomorrow and give it everything. It starts with the start so we’ll be practising on that, we’ve got the long run practice in FP2.
      “I mean passing the Red Bull is not easy, so it really helps to be where we are. But we’ve got to get off the line, and we’ve still got so many things and obstacles up ahead of us.
      “The sprint race is going to be an interesting one, I think I’ve got the car where I need it, so we’ll see.”
      WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA TODAY?
      Formula One second practice is at noon before the sprint race at 4.30pm.
      The first of two F2 races has already taken place this morning, Rob Shwartzman winning despite causing a red flag with a spin in qualifying yesterday.
      Their second race, on live on Sky Sports, is at 2.45pm.
      And the W Series has its second race of the weekend at 1.25pm, shown live on Channel 4.

      NEVER FORGOTTEN
      As we prepare to go racing today, F1 takes a moment to remember one of its own who sadly passed away on this day six years ago.

      ‘WEIRD’
      F1’s trial of a sprint race format at this weekend’s British Grand Prix has led to a timetable overhaul.
      F1 has elected to stick with the final free practice session before Saturday afternoon’s sprint qualifying, a move Max Verstappen has questioned.
      He said: “What I find weird is you do qualifying and then you can’t change anything on the car.
      “Then you have another free practice and then the sprint race. Then I think to myself: why not drop that second free practice, as it doesn’t really matter any more?
      “It feels a bit weird to do a qualifying where there is nothing at stake. You don’t really get that pole feeling or whatever. But hopefully we can attack on Saturday, we’ll see.”
      ‘HAS THE TALENT’
      David Coulthard believes George Russell can push Lewis Hamilton in the same way that Max Verstappen has in the title race this season.
      “We saw George’s hunger and racing spirit when he came together with Valtteri in Imola. He probably overreacted there, which is just an opinion.
      “But what we did see was his passion behind the wheel and that’s the sort of passion he’s going to need to beat Lewis.
      “He’s not going to beat Lewis with pure speed, Lewis is one of if not the fastest drivers of the last decade, George I believe has the talent to match that speed.
      “He’s going to beat him with that passion, that hunger, that ‘you might be Lewis Hamilton but when we go on track, I don’t care who you are’ Which is exactly what Max Verstappen delivers when he’s in the race car.”
      Load more entries… More

    • 250 Shares99 Views

      in Motorsport

      What is F1 sprint race qualifying, and how does it work? New format being rolled out at British Grand Prix

      by

      F1 Sprint is finally happening TODAY with the new race format set to dazzle spectators and excite the masses across three weekends this season. This weekend’s British Grand Prix is taking place at Silverstone in Northamptonshire, which will see the very first edition of F1 Sprint come to life.

      Lewis Hamilton will race in the first edition of F1 SprintCredit: Getty
      Your favourite stars from Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen will be taking part in the new feature race.
      So what exactly is it?
      What is F1 Sprint?
      F1 Sprint will be part of the race schedule this weekend at Silverstone.
      Essentially, F1 Sprint is a mini race which will be run over 100km on Saturday evening, with the usual Grand Prix distance.
      F1 Sprint is designed to be a flat-out race from start to finish, and is set to excite the 140,000 fans in attendance.

      The first edition will take place from 4.30pm UK time on Saturday, July 17.
      Taking part will be the 20 drivers who qualified on Friday evening and their starting positions will be determined by their qualifying finishes.
      Wherever you finish in F1 Sprint will then determine where you begin the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
      Should you win F1 Sprint, you will start in pole position on Sunday, but should you finish in eighth position, you will start in eighth for the main race.
      F1 Sprint will take place on Saturday, July 17Credit: PA
      The 100km distance means that the race will be 17 laps around the nearly 4-mile Silverstone track.
      F1 Sprint is expected to last around 25-30 minutes, with its fast and exciting nature expected to appeal to viewers and reel in new fans.
      Whoever finishes first in F1 Sprint will receive three points, second place will get two points and third place will receive just one. More

    • 250 Shares149 Views

      in Motorsport

      Red Bull chief Christian Horner reveals how he beat Mercedes to Max Verstappen as F1 star targets first world title

      by

      CHRISTIAN HORNER has spoken about the time Red Bull Racing first signed Max Verstappen – to stop him joining Mercedes.The Dutchman has opened up a 32-point lead over Lewis Hamilton and is edging closer to earning his first world title.
      Christian Horner pulled off a real coup by signing a young Max VerstappenCredit: AFP
      He is still only 23, but was already touted as a world champ in waiting when he made his F1 debut in 2015 at the age of 17.
      Back then, he was not even old enough to drive himself to the track or drink the Champagne on the podium, if he achieved one.
      Verstappen has since proved he is the real deal. He’s matured, cut out the mistakes and is mighty quick.
      No wonder then, Merc have been cursing the time he slipped through their fingers – and have been trying to sign him ever since.
      Horner said: “I first became aware of Max after hearing his name through the karting jungle drums and through contacts who I communicated with.
      “But it was only when he got into Formula 3 that suddenly his talent really started to stand out.
      “It was at Silverstone and his first race, here was a guy who had done no junior racing at all and had jumped straight into Formula 3, which in those days was considered a big step up, and suddenly he is running at the front and winning races.
      “He was also doing it in a car that did not belong to a traditional front-running team.
      “So it became obvious he was a potential star of the future and it was at that point Red Bull’s advisor, Helmut Marko, really started to pay closer attention to what he was doing.
      “It was at Hockenheim in 2014 and I went for dinner with Helmut. He was saying how Niki Lauda was trying to sign Max for Mercedes and he was asking me my thoughts.
      The moment he first got in the car to drive in first practice at the Japanese GP, he was sensational.Christian Horner
      “Once I knew that, I said, ‘sure, let’s go for it. It is something Mercedes cannot offer him’.
      “Niki was pushing hard and it was a bit of Austrian pride between Niki and Helmut who was going to get him!
      “The advantage we had was the cockpit we had available at Toro Rosso and taking that risk.
      “So we agreed the deal, and the moment he first got in the car later that year to drive in first practice at the Japanese GP at Suzuka, he was sensational.”
      Horner has watched his star driver compete alongside Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat.
      Such was his meteoric rise, he quickly attributed the reputation of a teammate killer, as he blitzed his rivals.
      He is now doing the same to Hamilton, who admittedly has been hamstrung in his title defence by his Mercedes car.
      Horner has watched Verstappen develop and says his father Jos Verstappen’s tough-love upbringing turned him into a tenacious racer.
      He added: “I was first struck by Max’s confidence and his car control, plus his lack of imitation of the car and the other drivers.
      “Very quickly you could see from his first race in Melbourne in 2015, he was right there and he had huge confidence and commitment and belief in himself.
      “It is very easy to underestimate what he has done and what he has achieved and he has done it in a very grounded way.
      “Success has not gone to his head. He still lives in the same way and does not live a flashy lifestyle and he is genuinely a nice young man who is living his dream driving the best cars in the world.
      “His father was pretty firm on him and that has helped to shape him into the driver he is today.”
      MANSELL MANTLE
      It will be Hamilton who enjoys the home support of a capacity crowd of 140,000 at Silverstone today and tomorrow.
      But Red Bull boss Horner says there are driving qualities in his driver that resemble that of another celebrated Brit, Nigel Mansell.
      He said: “It has taken 70 years for these records to be achieved by Lewis, and Max has his career in front of him.
      “He is very happy in the environment of the team, he trusts the brand and we have faith in him and that’s how it works.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info

      “He doesn’t seem to be shaken in his fight with Lewis. He is a racer and loves going wheel to wheel.
      “He is Mansell-like in his bravery and his commitment. You know he is going to give it 110 percent every lap – but without the drama afterwards!
      “But in terms of his driving style you know he will give it everything – his size of endowment is similar to Nigel!”
      Here’s how F1’s championship protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen stack up More

    • 200 Shares139 Views

      in Motorsport

      F1 calendar 2021: Grand Prix times, schedule, tracks with British GP NEXT and Australian GP CANCELLED

      by

      FORMULA ONE race organisers are certainly earning their salaries this year, with more changes to the calendar than in living memory.The Australian Grand Prix is the latest race to get culled from the F1 calendar for this year after it was initially put back to later in the season.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Lewis Hamilton is aiming to become the outright most successful driver of all timeCredit: Getty
      WIN £50,000! Play Dream Team Euros – our FREE fantasy football game
      The Brit, 36, moved level with Michael Schumacher on seven world titles last year and will become the outright top dog if he collects the most points across this season’s races.
      In a season that has already seen shifts and changes to the calendar, the Australian Grand Prix was due to take place on the weekend of March 21, but was put back to November 21.
      Then the Melbourne event was cancelled altogether due to rising Covid cases Down Under.
      And in April the world governing body approved sprint races in the British, Brazilian and Italian Grand Prix as a replacement for qualifying.
      Here is how the F1 calendar unfolds in 2021 with our race by race schedule.
      F1 calendar 2021
      All timings below are UK time.
      🇧🇭 Bahrain Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
      Friday, March 26: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, March 27: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, March 28: Race (4pm)

      🇮🇹 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lewis Hamilton 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola
      Friday, April 16: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, April 17: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, April 18: Race (2pm)

      🇵🇹 Portuguese Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
      Friday, April 30: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, May 1: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, May 2: Race (3pm)

      🇪🇸 Spanish Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
      Friday, May 7: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 8: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 9: Race (2pm)

      🇲🇨 Monaco Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Carlos Sainz 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo
      Thursday, May 20: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 22: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 23: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Sergio Perez 2. Sebastian Vettel 3. Pierre Gasly

      Venue: Baku City Circuit
      Friday, June 4: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, June 5: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, June 6: Race (1pm)

      🇨🇦 Canadian Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇹🇷 Turkish Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇫🇷 French Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lewis Hamilton 3. Sergio Perez

      Venue: Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet
      Friday, June 18: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 19: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 20: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Styrian Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lewis Hamilton 3.Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, June 25: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 26: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 27: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Austrian Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Valtteri Bottas 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, July 2: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 3: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, July 4: Race (2pm)

      🇬🇧 British Grand Prix
      🏁 British Grand Prix LIVE: All the updates from Silverstone this weekend
      *Inaugural sprint race replaces classic qualifying.

      Venue: Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire
      Friday, July 16: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (4.30pm)
      Saturday, July 17: Practice 3 (12pm), SPRINT RACE (3pm)*
      Sunday, July 18: Race (3pm)

      🇭🇺 Hungarian Grand Prix

      Venue: Hungaroring, Budapest
      Friday, July 30: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 31: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 1: Race (2pm)

      🇧🇪 Belgian Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
      Friday, August 27: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, August 28: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 29: Race (2pm)

      🇳🇱 Dutch Grand Prix

      Venue: Zandvoort
      Friday, September 3: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 4: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, September 5: Race (2pm)

      🇮🇹 Italian Grand Prix 2

      Venue: Autodromo Nazionale Monza
      Friday, September 10: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 11: Practice 3 (11am), SPRINT RACE (2PM)
      Sunday, September 12: Race (2pm)

      🇷🇺 Russian Grand Prix

      Venue: Sochi Autodrom
      Friday, September 24: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, September 25: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, September 26: Race (1pm)

      🇸🇬 Singapore Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇯🇵 Japanese Grand Prix

      Venue: Suzuka International Racing Course, Ino, Sazuka City
      Friday, October 8: Practice 1 (3.30am), Practice 2 (7am)
      Saturday, October 9: Practice 3 (4am), Qualifying (7am)
      Sunday, October 10: Race (6am)

      🇺🇸 United States Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
      Friday, October 22: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 23: Practice 3 (7pm), Qualifying (10pm)
      Sunday, October 24: Race (8pm)

      🇲🇽 Mexico City Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City
      Friday, October 29: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 30: Practice 3 (5pm), Qualifying (8pm)
      Sunday, October 31: Race (7pm)

      🇧🇷 Brazil Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos
      Friday, November 5: Practice 1 (2.30pm), Practice 2 (6pm)
      Saturday, November 6: Practice 3 (3pm), SPRINT RACE (6PM)
      Sunday, November 7: Race (5pm)

      🇦🇺 Australian Grand Prix

      Venue: Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
      Friday, November 19: Practice 1 (1.30am), Practice 2 (5am)
      Saturday, November 20: Practice 3 (3am), Qualifying (6am)
      Sunday, November 21: Race (6am)

      🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

      Venue: Jeddah Street Circuit
      Friday, December 3: Practice 1 (12.30pm), Practice 2 (4pm)
      Saturday, December 4: Practice 3 (1pm), Qualifying (4pm)
      Sunday, December 5: Race (4pm)

      🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

      Venue: Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island
      Friday, December 10: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, December 11: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, December 12: Race (1pm) More

    • 200 Shares189 Views

      in Motorsport

      F1 ace Lance Stroll’s girlfriend Sara Pagliaroli shows off her curves in a white tassel bikini

      by

      MODEL Sara Pagliaroli revs up her boyfriend Lance Stroll ahead of the Formula 1 at Silverstone tomorrow.The Italian beauty showed her curves in a white tassel bikini ahead of him lining up on the grid at the famous British track.
      Sara will be supporting boyfriend Lance Stroll at SilverstoneCredit: Yamamay
      The loved up couple have been dating for the past few monthsCredit: Sara Pagliaroli Instagram
      Sara, 26, and Lance, 22, have only been dating for a few months but the pair are smitten – with Sara sharing a photograph of them kissing on Instagram.
      It’s clear Sara never gets tyred of watching Lance race.
      She was photographed trackside during the ninth round of the competition in Austria at the start of this month.
      And she is expected to do the same at Silverstone on Sunday, where Lance, who drives for Aston Martin, will go up against Lewis Hamilton, 36, and current bookies favourite Belgian-Dutch driver Max Verstappen, 23.
      Lance Stroll is one of the youngest drivers on the gridCredit: PA

      Here’s how F1’s championship protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen stack up More

    • 225 Shares99 Views

      in Motorsport

      F1 British Grand Prix qualifying LIVE: Hamilton stuns Verstappen to take pole for sprint – Silverstone latest updates

      by

      SILVERSTONE is packed with F1 fans ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix.We’ve a weekend of exciting racing ahead, with Lewis Hamilton looking to continue his stunning record at this track and stop the Red Bull charge.
      And the Brit champion has pole for Saturday’s sprint after a terrific drive during qualifying.

      TV/Live stream: Sky Sports F1/NOW TV

      Follow ALL the action from Silverstone with our live blog below…

      JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)

      LEW LOST HIS VOICE
      Emotional Lewis Hamilton says he lost his voice amid the excitement of an 86,000-crowd returning to Silverstone and winning pole position.
      Britain’s world champ said: “We have been missing this for a whole years, I have lost my voice a little.
      I am so grateful to see everyone here. To come to Silverstone and have a full crowd like this. You feel the energy.
      “I was hopeful with the great work we did at the team and the energy of the fans would get us here. This is down to the fans.”
      HAM ‘OVER THE MOON’
      Pole-winner Lewis Hamilton says it was an “incredible” to finally match – and better – Max Verstappen’s pace on home turf.
      Watched by 86,000 at Silverstone, Hamilton’s Mercedes took top spot ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull by 0.075 second.

      Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas was third, in front of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
      McLaren’s Lando Norris was sixth, with Williams’ George Russell a brilliant eighth.
      Hamilton said: “We have tried to stay focused on our job and I have been trying to layer it up in the simulator.
      “I went to the factory in the morning to use it as a practice and try and give it everything and not leave any stone unturned.
      “I was free and I said to the team that rather than sit around and waste time, I wanted to get to it and had a practice session.
      “We are trying to squeeze everything from this car and it was holding together, so I am over the moon.
      REPORT
      Get the full lowdown on today’s qualifying with Ben Hunt’s report from Silverstone here.
      Credit: Reuters
      TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
      Is this the start of a Mercedes fightback?
      They will need both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas on form to keep up the pressure tomorrow, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez demoted to fifth after having a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits.

      HERE’S THE GRID
      Take a look at the grid for tomorrow’s sprint race.

      FIRST JOB DONE
      Lewis Hamilton adds: “It feels like such a long time since we’ve been able to get anywhere near [pole].
      “We’ve got the car in a good place and the work gets done in the next two days.”
      Credit: Reuters
      HAMILTON ALL SMILES
      Lewis Hamilton has almost lost his voices as he gives his response.
      The top qualifier says: “We’ve been missing this for a whole year, I’m so grateful to see everyone here.
      “To have a full crowd like this, you see the energy. This is down to the fans.
      “It was reminiscent of my first pole here in 2007 and I couldn’t have done it without those fans.”
      VERSTAPPEN ‘WEIRD’ QUALY
      Max Verstappen says: “We just need to look at ourselves, just a lot of understeer so I couldn’t really attack any corners.
      “A bit of a weird feeling to drive, I don’t think it was setup related. We’re still quite close.”
      BOTTAS CONTENT
      Valtteri Bottas speaks to the broadcast coverage and has to battle over Lewis Hamilton’s response from the crowd.
      He says: “It was a good qualifying based on how good Red Bull was in practice.
      “It’s all to play for, it’s quite interesting.”
      HAM IT UP
      Lewis Hamilton runs straight to the stand on the Hamilton Straight to mark that pole triumph in front of over 90,000 fans.
      CROWD GOES WILD
      Silverstone and Lewis Hamilton enjoyed that one.
      The Merc star tells his radio: “Get in there! Cracking job.”
      LEW KNOW IT
      Lewis Hamilton will start Saturday’s Silverstone sprint race on pole after a blistering 1:26.134 in Q3, edging him past Max Verstappen.
      Valtteri Bottas completes the front three with Lando Norris sixth and George Russell a staggering eighth.
      HAMILTON ON POLE
      Max Verstappen also fails to improve his time, he misses out by less than a tenth!
      MERCS SET THE BENCHMARK
      Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton are first to finish, and it’s no quicker for the Brit as he almost loses it at Club!
      ONE LAST TIME
      The other nine drivers are on their out laps for the final shot at pole position for tomorrow’s sprint race…
      RUSSELL GOES IT ALONE
      With a quiet track, George Russell heads off around Silverstone and receives a standing ovation at every corner – even before his time comes in.
      A 1:26.971 puts him above both Ferraris! That’s seventh again!
      Credit: Reuters
      MAX UNHAPPY
      A stream of complaints about the tyres from Max Verstappen over the radio. Testing times for Red Bull, can they pull through?
      HAMILTON ON TOP
      Lewis Hamilton has a 0.172 second advantage over Max Verstappen after the first run.
      A big cheer from the British crowd, with Valtteri Bottas third, Sergio Perez fourth and then Lando Norris leading the two McLarens.
      WILL FIRST LAPS BE KEY?
      Track temperature is plummeting at Silverstone, down by over two degrees since we started this evening qualy. Such fine details may prove crucial.
      STAND OFF
      After a bit of a wait, Carlos Sainz is the first man out of the pits.
      THIS IS IT
      Ten drivers, 12 minutes. Strap in for Q3…
      TOP FIVE IN Q2
      1. HAM – 1:26.0232. VER – Almost three tenths back3. BOT4. SAI5. LEC
      Joining them in Q3 are Sergio Perez, George Russell, Sebastian Vettel and both McLarens.
      Credit: PA
      TWO IN A ROW
      That is the second weekend in a row George Russell has put the Williams among the top ten of the grid. What an achievement.
      Fernando Alonso will start the sprint race in 11th, ahead of Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Antonio Giovinazzi and Lance Stroll.
      RUSSELL INTO Q3 – SEVENTH!
      He is Mr Friday! What a lap from the Williams star… again!
      Silverstone goes wild!
      MERCEDES THE FIRST TO TAKE THE FLAG
      Lewis Hamilton goes fastest and Carlos Sainz also puts in a good time.
      Load more entries… More

    • 263 Shares169 Views

      in Motorsport

      Lewis Hamilton storms to British Grand Prix pole for first ever F1 sprint race in front of adoring fans at Silverstone

      by

      LEWIS HAMILTON drew first blood in his battle with Max Verstappen at Silverstone – then revealed he’d been getting in some extra practice.In an unprecedented first for Formula One, Hamilton went to the Mercedes factory in Brackley to drive on their simulator BEFORE qualifying in an attempt to get ahead of Verstappen.
      Lewis Hamilton bagged pole position for Saturday’s inaugural sprint raceCredit: Reuters
      The Brit put in a blistering lap to beat Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
      And it paid off as, despite a slip-up on his final attempt, his first lap was 0.075 seconds quicker than the Red Bull man to start in P1 for F1’s first-ever sprint race.
      Hamilton said: “We have tried to stay focused on our job and I have been trying to layer it up in the simulator.
      “I went to the factory in the morning to use it as a practice and try and give it everything and not leave any stone unturned.
      “I was free and I said to the team that rather than sit around and waste time, I wanted to get to it and had a practice session.
      “We are trying to squeeze everything from this car and it was holding together, so I am over the moon.
      “It feels like such a long time since we have been able to get near [to Max] and to do it on our home turf is an incredible feeling.
      “It is only a little step forward and the real work gets done over the next two days – and I need all the support I can get.”
      The relief was obvious as he crossed the line and shouted ‘get in!’ with his first clenched in celebration.
      The voice of his race engineer, the usually mild-mannered Pete Bonnington, was also breaking with emotion.
      Just moments before, Hamilton had crossed the line and the sound of the cheers lit up the Northamptonshire circuit.
      We have a strong race car. We just need to fix a few issues and we will have a strong race.Max Verstappen
      Verstappen, who had topped practice and the early parts of qualifying, will start second in the new sprint race that will decide the grid for Sunday’s British GP.
      He added: “It is a bit of a weird feeling to do quali and go flat out and it doesn’t mean anything.
      “We have a strong race car. We just need to fix a few issues and we will have a strong race.”
      In further good news for the 140,000 capacity crowd coming through the doors tomorrow, fellow Brits George Russell and Lando Norris ensured there will be a trio of home-grown racers starting inside the top 10.
      COMPETITION: SPOT THE BALL TO WIN A CAR AND CASH
      Hamilton lapped up the triumph in front of the Silverstone crowdCredit: Getty
      George Russell put his Williams in a very impressive eighth on the gridCredit: Splash

      The crowd cheered as Russell, 23, from King’s Lynn, completed every lap in Q3 having secured his place in the final qualifying session at the expense of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
      Russell lapped it up in the evening sunshine where his lap time for the regular backmarkers was good enough to see him qualify in eighth place for the sprint.
      And McLaren’s Norris will start in sixth for the 100km race on Saturday, which is expected to take around 25 minutes, with points on offer for the top three.
      SPRINT RACE EXPLAINEDHERE’S how it will work
      HOW DOES THE SPRINT RACE WORK?On Saturday there is a flat-out 100km race over 17 laps that will determine the grid for Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
      HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?Around 25 to 30 minutes. It is hoped to be F1’s version of cricket’s Twenty20 format.
      WILL DRIVERS EARN POINTS?Yes, the top three will receive three, two and one point respectively to be added to their drivers’ championship tally.
      WILL THERE BE A PODIUM CELEBRATION?No, but there will be a victory lap and the drivers will receive an old-school wreath.
      WILL THEY HAVE TO MAKE A PITSTOP LIKE IN AN ACTUAL GRAND PRIX?No, pitstops are not mandatory and teams can choose which tyre they wish to use — the quicker but less durable soft tyre or the slower, longer-lasting mediums.
      WHAT ELSE CHANGES?As a result of the sprint race, there are just two one-hour practice sessions. One on Friday  and one on Saturday. Qualifying to determine the grid for Saturday’s sprint race will also take place on Friday.
      WILL THE SPRINT RACE REPLACE REGULAR QUALIFYING IN THE FUTURE?F1 are trialling sprint races at Silverstone, Monza and possibly Austin. If it is deemed a success, then the idea is that it will be rolled out for selected weekends in the future, just to spice things up.

      Here’s how F1’s championship protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen stack up More

    • 213 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Lando Norris wears replacement £40k watch after muggers stole luxury timepiece during Euro 2020 final at Wembley

      by

      LANDO NORRIS had a new watch on his wrist at the British Grand Prix after his Wembley mugging ordeal.The Sun revealed that the McLaren driver, 21, had his £40,000 watch stolen at the Euro 2020 final last weekend.
      Lando Norris had a new watch on his wrist at Silverstone on FridayCredit: AFP
      The new watch matched his McLaren team coloursCredit: EPA
      Norris was getting into his £165,000 McLaren GT after the game when he was targeted on Sunday night.
      He has spoken about his terrifying ordeal and how it left him shaken.
      Norris – who will race in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in front of 140,000 fans this weekend – had a replacement on his wrist on Friday.
      The 21-year-old turned up to his Friday press conference in his McLaren team gear while wearing the new piece with an orange strap that matched his jacket.
      Norris will also wear a custom helmet this weekend in front of his home fans thanking key workers.
      The white helmet is filled with messages of support for those on the front line during the Covid pandemic.
      Wembley descended into a warzone at the Euro final — when 2,500 ticketless, drunken thugs stormed the stadium.
      Terrified families called security for the showpiece event a shambles, with fights breaking out around the ground.
      JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
      The F1 driver attended the Euro 2020 final at Wembley last weekend when he was muggedCredit: Instagram/@landonorris
      His helmet this weekend for the British Grand Prix is filled with tributes to key workersCredit: Instagram
      Britain’s F1 ace Norris was also mugged for his £40,000 watch after the game with Italy — England’s biggest since 1966.
      Norris said after the incident: “Hi world. Thanks for all the messages everyone.
      “Really means a lot to see so many messages of kindness and love from you all.
      “Thought I’d let you know that I am doing well I’m trying to make sure that I am ready and in the right zone for this weekend to perform at my best.
      “Love you all and can’t wait to see so many of you back at the track this weekend.”
      Players’ families were caught up in skirmishes, children were    left in tears, a female security guard was trampled and a disabled entrance stormed.
      Fans who paid £900 and more for tickets then found yobs in their seats refusing to budge.

      Friends and families of stars including captain Harry Kane, John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Harry Maguire also saw trouble unfold as dozens barged into their section.
      A source said: “All the players had their kids in there. It was ­terrifying. The wives, girlfriends and children were all crying. There were a couple of fights.
      “None of the relatives or friends had seen anything like this before. They arrived to find seats taken by fans without tickets. And they were rude and really aggressive.
      “It got really nasty and was very upsetting. There were not enough stewards and no police in sight.”
      Alleged thieves suspected of stealing F1 ace Lando Norris’s £40,000 watch at Wembley appear to show it off outside ground More