F1: Verstappen secures pole in Silverstone; Bortoleto qualifies 16th

Lights green and cars on track! On Saturday (5), the Formula 1 drivers returned to the Silverstone circuit for the qualifying session. As we’ve seen in the first 11 races, the starting position can greatly impact the race outcome. Max Verstappen delivered a flying lap at the session’s end, securing pole with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris right behind.

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Q1

The Alpine and Sauber drivers were the first on track, but the top early times went to Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, and George Russell.

With eight minutes left, Franco Colapinto spun in the Club corner, even managing to get the car out of the gravel despite a lot of dust, but the Argentine couldn’t return to the pits, triggering a red flag that stopped the clock at six minutes and 49 seconds.

After the stewards cleared the track, McLaren opted to return with used tires, aiming to save options for Q3. And, as predicted, a few drops of rain began falling at the pit exit.

Lewis Hamilton warned that the track was slightly more slippery than before, but not enough to require rain tires.

Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg couldn’t make it to Q2; the Brazilian lost the spot after Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly completed their laps.

It’s worth noting that Bortoleto crashed during TL3 and damaged the suspension, forcing a repair with several parts replaced and using the old floor for qualifying.

Q2

Max Verstappen was the first out of the pits, using brand-new soft tires, just like the Ferrari duo and McLaren. Piastri managed a lap exactly matching the Dutchman’s time, before Norris took the lead with 1:25.231.

With three minutes left, Hamilton returned with used soft tires, still complaining a lot about the car, unable to string together a good lap despite the car seeming quite competitive on Friday.

Even so, the Ferrari pair overtook Norris’s McLaren, with Hamilton taking the lead at 1:25.084; Leclerc right behind, 0.049s off.

The Q2 eliminations were: Esteban Ocon, Alexander Albon, Isack Hadjar, Yuki Tsunoda, and Carlos Sainz.

Q3

All drivers who made it to Q3 came out on brand-new soft tires, ready to deliver their best laps and fight for pole.

Verstappen posted a great lap, running at 1:25.267, but Oscar Piastri broke the track record, clocking 1:24.995, while the four-time champion continued complaining about difficulties handling his car.

With less than four minutes left, the drivers returned to the track with new tires. Verstappen, meanwhile, was the last to leave the pits, risking a single lap in the final minutes. And the effort paid off big time, with the Dutchman securing pole position for the race.