Overview
- Max Verstappen clinched pole at Silverstone by switching to a low-downforce wing that maximised his straight-line speed
- Oscar Piastri qualified second and Lando Norris third with just 0.229 seconds covering the top six on the grid
- Persistent heavy rain and a Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms have cast doubt on track conditions at the 3pm race start
- Pirelli’s Mario Isola warned that one-stop and two-stop tyre strategies differ by only two to three seconds, heightening strategic risk
- FIA grid penalties see Oliver Bearman drop ten places, Kimi Antonelli three places, and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto forced to start from the pit lane