Max Verstappen delivered a masterclass in the final moments of a nail-biting qualifying session at Silverstone, securing pole position for the 2025 British Grand Prix with a clinical lap under pressure. The Red Bull driver fired in a 1:24.892 on his last run in Q3, leapfrogging Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to lead a tightly packed field in what promises to be a blockbuster race for Round 12 of the 2025 F1 World Championship.
What To Know?
- Verstappen on Pole: Max Verstappen steals pole with a 1:24.892, beating McLaren’s Piastri by just over a tenth.
- McLaren 2–3, Ferrari 5–6: Piastri and Norris start right behind Verstappen, while Hamilton and Leclerc line up just behind the front rows.
- Bearman Penalised, Colapinto Crashes: Bearman gets a 10-place grid penalty after taking P8; Colapinto crashes in Q1, triggering red flags and ending his session in P20.
Piastri had briefly held provisional pole after the first Q3 laps but a costly mistake on his final attempt meant he couldn’t respond to Verstappen’s benchmark. Norris, likewise, failed to improve — meaning the McLaren pair will start second and third. Just behind, George Russell delivered a strong performance to take P4 for Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton, fast early on in Q3, slipped to P5 for Ferrari as his final effort didn’t land.
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Charles Leclerc took sixth in the second Ferrari, followed by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli in seventh. Ollie Bearman impressed again with P8 for Haas, though he’ll drop 10 places due to a penalty for a red flag infringement in FP3. That elevates Fernando Alonso (P9) and Pierre Gasly (P10), the latter giving Alpine a welcome top-ten appearance.
Further back, Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was a surprising Q2 exit in 12th, behind Sainz (P11) and ahead of Hadjar and Albon. Esteban Ocon rounded out the top 15, just missing the Q3 cut. Drama struck in Q1 when Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto spun into the barriers at Club corner, triggering red flags and ending his session in P20. The ultra-tight midfield saw the remaining Q1 dropouts — Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, and Nico Hülkenberg — all within six-tenths of the fastest time.
With Verstappen on pole but both McLarens breathing down his neck, and unpredictable conditions still in play, Sunday’s race at Silverstone is primed for fireworks in front of an electric British crowd.
2025 British GP Qualifying Results
2025 British Grand Prix Qualifying, 5 July 2025.
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:25.886 | 1:25.316 | 1:24.892 | 18 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:25.963 | 1:25.316 | 1:24.995 | 21 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:26.123 | 1:25.231 | 1:25.010 | 20 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:26.236 | 1:25.637 | 1:25.029 | 19 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:26.296 | 1:25.084 | 1:25.095 | 19 |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:26.186 | 1:25.133 | 1:25.121 | 21 |
| 7 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:26.265 | 1:25.620 | 1:25.374 | 18 |
| 8 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:26.005 | 1:25.534 | 1:25.471 | 18 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:26.108 | 1:25.593 | 1:25.621 | 15 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:26.328 | 1:25.711 | 1:25.785 | 21 |
| 11 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:26.175 | 1:25.746 | 12 | |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 1:26.275 | 1:25.826 | 13 | |
| 13 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:26.177 | 1:25.864 | 12 | |
| 14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:26.093 | 1:25.889 | 13 | |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:26.136 | 1:25.950 | 12 | |
| 16 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:26.440 | 6 | ||
| 17 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 1:26.446 | 9 | ||
| 18 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:26.504 | 9 | ||
| 19 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 1:26.574 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:27.060 | 6 |
2025 British Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 British Grand Prix Qualifying session.
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:24.892 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:24.995 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:25.010 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:25.029 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:25.095 |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:25.121 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:25.621 |
| 8 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:25.785 |
| 9 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:25.746 |
| 10 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:25.374 |
| 11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 1:25.826 |
| 12 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:25.864 |
| 13 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:25.889 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:25.950 |
| 15 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:26.440 |
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 1:26.446 |
| 17 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:26.504 |
| 18 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:25.471 |
| 19 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 1:26.574 |
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:27.060 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 4 July 2025 – 6 July 2025
Race date: Sunday, 6 July, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Silverstone Circuit
Laps: 52
Circuit length: 5.891km
2024 winner: Lewis Hamilton
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