Schumacher fails to catch Hakkinen

David Coulthard was third with Eddie Irvine fourth, Heinz-Harald Frentzen fifth and Hill sixth.

With less than five seconds left of the hour, Schumacher crossed the line to start his final flying lap, and it looked as though he was going to come close to Hakkinen's time of 1.24.804.

However, the Ferrari driver was held up by a slower car in the third and final sector, and so had to settle for second on the grid.

Hill, whose fifth place ensured the leading three in the constructors championship, filled the first three rows on the grid, had made up considerable ground over the past few days at Silverstone.

Although he reached fifth place in the second session of this morning's practice, he will be pleased to have recorded his best qualifying position of the season.