Formula 1 World Championship leader Max Verstappen (Red Bull) claimed a seventh out of ten possible pole positions this season, and fifth in a row, on Saturday in qualifying for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The Dutchman, who has won the last five races, will start on Sunday ahead of the surprising McLarens of Briton Lando Norris and Australian Oscar Piastri, while Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) will complete the second row.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) will start fifth, ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell and local idol Lewis Hamilton.
The Thai Alex Albon, very fast since the start of the weekend at the wheel of his Williams also in return to form, took eighth place ahead of the Spanish veteran Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and the Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpine).
The Mexican Sergio Pérez, second in the provisional classification of the World Championship, disappointed again by being unable to avoid elimination in Q1 with the second Red Bull. He will only start in 16th position and will have to work hard on Sunday to score a few points on Sunday.
Canadian Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine) also missed qualifying and will start 12th and 13th respectively, behind German Nico Hülkenberg (Haas).
At the end of qualifying which started on a wet circuit but which dried up as it went on, Verstappen got a little scared at the end of the session but took over first place in extremis from the surprising Norris, who had made dozens get up of thousands of British supporters a few seconds earlier by taking the best time.
The Dutchman, who will be aiming for a sixth success in a row and an eighth in ten races this season, will have the opportunity on the legendary Silverstone circuit to widen the gap even further at the top of the World Championship where he is already ahead of Pérez by 81. lengths.
