Max Verstappen starts on pole for Formula 1's British Grand Prix, with title rivals behind

Max Verstappen has pole position for the British Grand Prix, but the reigning Formula 1 champion will have title rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris close behind in Sunday’s race.

Red Bull’s Verstappen had struggled in practice, but found extra pace in Saturday’s qualifying session to take pole ahead of McLaren’s Piastri and Norris, who both made small but costly mistakes.

For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

It could be a hectic fight for the win, with Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari all showing strong pace in qualifying, with the top six cars covered by just 0.229 of a second. There’s also a chance of rain during the race, which could upend everyone’s strategy. The leading contenders are using contrasting setups, which mean different strengths and weaknesses at various points on the track. Verstappen’s car in particular sacrifices grip through the corners for top speed on the straights.

Piastri leads the standings by 15 points from Norris, the winner of last week’s Austrian Grand Prix, with Verstappen a distant third, 61 points off the lead.