F1 British GP live commentary and updates - sprint qualifying
Follow along for updates from Formula 1 sprint qualifying ahead of the British Grand Prix
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The work is over on the #1 McLaren so it appears Norris has a fully-functioning front-right corner for SQ3. Still we wait for someone to blink first.
The green light is illuminated at the pitlane exit but nobody fancies it yet. This is set to be a one-lap shootout.
The McLaren mechanics are hard at work on Norris' front-right brake duct to try to and fix it after the British driver lost a piece earlier in sprint qualifying. That'll be worth a tenth or two which will be make or break in this final session.
Another two-by-two with both Alpines, Audis and Williams all going out. All very formal.
The chequered flag is out and nobody in the bottom six does enough to push Norris from the top 10. The McLaren driver can sing the Kenny Loggins' banger loud and proud.
Out in SQ2: P11 Gasly, P12 Bortoleto, P13 Hulkenberg, P14 Colapinto, P15 Sainz, P16 Albon.
The projected knockout time is a 1m29.5s - but Gasly is 11th with a 1m29.482s. I guess we'll forgive them for rounding up.
Anyway, Russell does enough to go seventh fastest, which pushes Norris into the danger zone.
Lawson, that is a lap! The Racing Bulls driver goes fourth with a 1m29.067s, while team-mate Lindblad goes eighth, so that pushes Russell to 10th and on the bubble.
We've got a split strategy in SQ2 as Lawson, Gasly, Lindblad and Colapinto opt for a one-and-done attack given they've not set lap times yet with under three minutes to go.
Not a great lap by Russell who puts in a 1m29.474s which leaves him down in eighth place. It'd be a surprise if any of the midfield runners can do enough to push the Mercedes driver out of the top 10, but he is the one at biggest risk out of the big names.
Verstappen's joy is short-lived as he is quickly shuffled down to fifth as Hamilton goes top once again with a 1m28.7474s from Antonelli, Leclerc and Piastri.
That is the Verstappen we know. The four-time F1 world champion goes top with a 1m29.242s, finally getting the better of team-mate Hadjar.
Off we go for SQ2!
With a short break before SQ2, why not take a chance to play our new game Two Seats?
Simply pick two drivers from a deck to beat your opposition in a virtual season-long competition.
Bearman missed out on progressing into SQ2 by 0.010s from Sainz. Those are the margins for success even in this early stage of the regulations and developments are rapid.
Yes! Albon's 1m30.779s puts him 14th and duly pushes Bearman out.
Out in SQ1: P17 Bearman, P18 Ocon, P19 Perez, P20 Bottas, P21 Alonso, P22 Stroll.
Albon is going to be last over the line so can he make it count?
The chequered flag is out as Bearman leaps into 15th place which pushes Albon into the relegation zone.
Both Mercedes drivers improve with their final laps but are only fifth and sixth respectively for Russell and Antonelli - over four tenths slower than Hamilton.
Three minutes to go in SQ1 and in the drop zone is Bearman, Ocon, Perez, Bottas, Alonso and Stroll. Or, two Haas, two Cadillacs and two Aston Martins. The Noah's Ark formation.
Back come the Ferraris, with Hamilton going top again with a 1m29.273s, one tenth of a second up on Leclerc.
Hadjar goes quickest for Red Bull with a 1m29.470s. We are still off the outright lap times set in FP1 (granted they were on soft tyres) but that's an eye-catching lap time. Piastri puts him McLaren third.
Verstappen meanwhile is only sixth despite the on board of his lap looking solid with no major moments like he suffered in practice.
Hamilton punches in a 1m29.582s to set the early pace from Ferrari team-mate Leclerc and then comes Antonelli, Lawson and Russell.
The air temperature is up to 25.5C which makes it a scorching Silverstone, and means the track temperature is also up, hitting 41.5C. Not quite Red Bull Ring-levels of heat but the tyres will be feeling it in the high-load, high-speed corners.
A largely leisurely start to the session is halted after around 90s as a chunk of cars nip out, including both Ferraris and both Mercedes. Each driver has one set of new medium tyres to set their lap times in this session.
Off we go for the first segment of sprint qualifying. Time to kick out the bottom six drivers.
So, 12 minutes of SQ1, 10 minutes of SQ2 and then eight minutes for SQ3 to decide the top 10 order for the sprint race. There won't be time to breathe.
While we wait for sprint qualifying to get going, why not cast your vote in our new monthly awards.
There are six categories in total for June: F1 driver, MotoGP rider, NASCAR driver, IndyCar driver and Sportscar driver, plus moment of the month.
There's also a trio of special liveries on show for the British GP.
Starting with McLaren, which is a tribute to Bruce McLaren's 1966 Monaco GP look:
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Then there is a USA-celebrating look at Cadillac as the States celebrates its 250th birthday tomorrow:
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Then there is Williams which has a special home livery... we promise. You just need to squint:
Alexander Albon, Williams
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
In the break between the track sessions, there's been some spicy comments from Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur hitting back at a few other team bosses for their comments about the Scuderia's upgrades - both in volume and in scope - which we'll bring you shortly.
Having said that, the upgrades are relatively restrained at Silverstone across the grid after a much larger delivery landed in Austria seven days ago.
On the face of it, the pecking order is relatively unchanged as a result, but can Ferrari keep up the fight to Mercedes at Silverstone? Or can Red Bull or McLaren show a smart turn of pace in quali?
Friday rush hour
Hello again! We're half an hour away from the start of sprint qualifying at the British GP. Who are you backing for pole?
Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
By: Haydn Cobb
