British GP sprint qualifying as it happened

By: Lewis Duncan, James Newbold

Summary


	Summary Verstappen takes pole in the first ever F1 sprint qualifying race ahead of Hamilton and Bottas Contact between Sainz and Russell to be investigated after the session Perez fails to finish after suffering damage going off the track
	Sprint Leaderboard Verstappen, Red Bull Hamilton, Mercedes Bottas, Mercedes Leclerc, Ferrari Norris, McLaren Ricciardo, McLaren Alonso, Alpine Vettel, Aston Martin Russell, Williams Ocon, Alpine

Status: Stopped

19:24

For now though we will say farewell on the live text commentary and wish you a very pleasant Saturday night! Remember, the British GP starts tomorrow at 3pm local time. Bye bye!

19:22 It is time to digest the drivers' and teams' reactions to the first F1 sprint and draw conclusions from the events at Silverstone. Please let us know what you thought of it as well!

19:16 So, that was an all-action 17 laps of F1 at Silverstone. Need a recap of how it unfolded? Look no further: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/british-gp-sprint-qualifying-report/6632306/

19:14 Bottas on P3: "We tried to do something different [using the soft tyres] and the target was to get him [Verstappen] at the start and we both had a good start but at Turn 1 I was slightly blocked."

19:10 Hamilton on P2: "I gave it everything today. The support of the fans means the world to me and I am sorry I wasn't able to get the win in the sprint. I hit the target with my start but it didn't work out."

19:09

19:08 Verstappen on his sprint win: "We were pushing each other hard as the tyres were blistering a lot. Happy to have scored the three points and it is funny to say I have scored the pole position too but we'll take it."

19:07 Verstappen, Hamilton and Bottas are ushered into the back of a truck for the new post-sprint presentation 'victory' lap.

19:04 With Perez retiring on the penultimate lap he will start the British GP from the back. Red Bulls will top and tail Sunday's grid.

19:03

Alonso was the biggest disruptor in the sprint - meant in the most positive sense - as his gamble on the softs results in seventh having climbed to fifth at the start.

19:01 Verstappen takes it by 1.4s ahead of Hamilton meaning he will start the British GP from pole position. Bottas takes third with Leclerc in fourth.

18:59 Max Verstappen wins the first ever F1 sprint qualifying race!

18:59 Perez has been told to retire the car.

18:58 Final lap time - this has flown by! It was always going to, but you know what we mean.

18:57 Bottas, on those softs remember, is still holding station in third. He's six seconds off Hamilton and keeping an eye on the 3s gap to Leclerc behind him.

18:55 Alonso has been given a warning for moving under braking. He's holding onto seventh with three laps to go.

18:55 Lovely move from Sainz. Gasly ran deep into Vale and the Ferrari driver kept it tight to slip up the inside at Club.

18:54 Verstappen has responded to Hamilton's pace with a new fastest lap. The gap is now 2.3s at the front.

18:54 Sainz moves past Gasly for 11th with Ocon just ahead. Perez still stuck in 18th.

18:53 Vettel once again in DRS rang of Alonso into Brooklands but the Alpine defends heavily. Russell looks to have dropped off the tail of Vettel on this lap.

Live updates from Saturday's final practice and sprint qualifying race for the British GP at Silverstone.

Summary