Bernadette Soriano 

Max Verstappen delivered a clutch pole lap in the dying seconds of Q3 at Silverstone Circuit, England on Saturday, July 5 (Sunday, July 6, 12:10 AM Philippine time), pipping McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to the top slot with a clinical 1:24.892.

Photo Courtesy of Andy Hone/LAT Images/Bryn Lennon/Formula 1.

The reigning world champion put in a banker when it counted, capitalizing on Piastri’s last-corner oversteer to snatch track position at Silverstone.

Piastri, who had been on provisional pole, dropped the rear of the McLaren just before the line and was forced to settle for P2—0.103s off Verstappen’s mark.

Lando Norris clocked P3 in the sister McLaren, while George Russell out-qualified a frustrated Lewis Hamilton to complete the second row lockout.

Hamilton, making his Silverstone debut in Ferrari red, looked within reach of pole before a scruffy final sector cost him a front-row start, forcing him to settle for fifth.

Q1 kicked off with light drizzle across the circuit, adding a layer of unpredictability without triggering a switch to inters.

Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg led the exploratory laps on slicks, but the full grid rolled out five minutes in as grip stabilized.

Verstappen stamped authority early with a 1:26.041 flyer, only for Piastri to inch ahead by 0.039s and take provisional honors.

A spin from Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto at Club sent him skating through gravel and into the barriers, prompting a red flag and sealing his elimination.

The FIA halted the session for car recovery and minor barrier repairs, freezing the bottom five with Colapinto joined by Bortoleto, Hülkenberg, Gasly, and Ocon.

Post-restart, the drizzle persisted but lap times dropped fast; Bearman’s shock P3 showing proved the track was ramping up hard.

Ferrari rolled the dice on a low-fuel, used-rubber strategy for Hamilton and Leclerc, which nearly cost both drivers a Q1 exit.

Hamilton scraped through in 14th, just one spot above Gasly, while Leclerc barely made the cut in 13th with Antonelli splitting them.

Verstappen opened Q2 strongly with a 1:25.316, but Piastri matched the exact time, placing second only due to timing sequence.

Norris fired back with a 1:25.231, but Hamilton briefly took over the timesheets with a 1:25.084, only to be displaced as the top 10 reshuffled late.

Leclerc tailed his teammate by 0.05s, while Carlos Sainz, Tsunoda, Hadjar, Albon, and Ocon all failed to progress.

Q3 went live with all ten cars diving out, Bearman laid down the banker lap, but frontrunners quickly demoted him down the pecking order.

Piastri looked nailed on for pole with a 1:24.995, as Hamilton followed a tenth behind; Norris and Verstappen slotted behind them.

Russell briefly surged to P2, but Norris responded to reclaim third before Verstappen dropped the hammer on his final lap.

The Dutchman stitched together a razor-sharp lap under pressure, finding time in the middle sector to seize his third pole of the season.

Piastri was left to rue a twitchy rear-end, while Norris, Russell, Hamilton, and Leclerc completed a tightly-packed front three rows.

Rookies Antonelli and Bearman made the Q3 cut but carried grid penalties: three spots for Antonelli, ten for Bearman, shaking up the Sunday order.

Alonso inherits P7, Gasly climbs to eighth, and Sainz is promoted to ninth as Bearman drops to 18th and Antonelli lines up tenth.