Silverstone Classic Friday

20:55 James Colburn ends the qualifying session top. 2min55.914s puts him in prime position to take the victory tomorrow.

20:54 We may mock, but these little Austins are such great fun to watch. A high centre of gravity makes for some beautiful-to-watch roll-on oversteer.

20:49 The times are coming down with less than five minutes to run. Charles Knill-Jones puts in a 2min57.318s effort to go top of the timings for now,

20:38 Even with a mighty 1.1-litre engine producing a whopping 34bhp we're not expecting fast times...

20:36 The last action of the day begins with the slab-sided Austin A35s of the Celebrity Challenge rolling out.

20:27 No positional changes at the top but the times tumble. Thomas and Lockie record a 2min25.379s for pole. Gary Pearson 0.152s further back.

20:14 The Julian Thomas-Calum Lockie E-Type pairing is back out in force again this afternoon. They've just banged in a 2min26.145s to find a one second advantage over anyone else.

19:33 Similarly, Gianfranco Brancatelli won the 1985 European Touring Car Championship in this Ford Sierra RS500.

19:31 The stunning JPS liveried BMW 635csi in the hands of Jim Richards is the same driver-car duo that won the 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship.

18:02 The FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars are scoring well in the crucial 'being heard and felt in the media centre' test and that's just them on tick-over...

17:01 The Rob Hall-Andy Willis AC Cobra is laying down black lines everywhere as it oversteers at the slightest hint of throttle.

16:40 Qualifying for the FIA Masters Historic Formula 1 ends with newcomer Jonathan Kennard fastest. He set a 1min50.598s in the Arrow A3, six tenths faster than Michael Lyons - driving another Williams FW07.

16:23 And Padmore is on hot form this afternoon too. Clocking a 1min51.593s on just his second lap means he betters the fastest of this morning’s laptimes by 30 seconds.

16:19 Nick Padmore, Historic F1 champion of the last two years, returns to the cockpit of a Williams FW07C having traded it for a pre-78 class Shadow earlier in the year.

16:17 McLaren executive director Zak Brown is racing in the Historic F1 and is driving a Williams FW07 from 1980. A happy coming together of 40 years of Williams F1 and what would have been Bruce McLaren’s 80th birthday.

15:59 The paddock is starting to come to life again as the lunchbreak draws to a close. First out this afternoon is FIA Masters Historic F1. With the legendary Cosworth DFV celebrating its 50th anniversary be sure to check out this week’s Autosport Magazine with features covering the engine's life in both F1 and Sports Cars.

15:38 Bending the meaning of 'classics' is a parade of supercars including a Bugatti Veyron, Pagani Zonda and a brace of Porsche 918s. If it were any other hybrid that could be considered blasphemy in among some of the company this weekend.

15:14 Thus the engines fall silent for an hour, after which we'll hear the main event of the FIA Masters Historic F1.

15:12 The session's over - Wakeman and Blakeney-Edwards finish on top; Burnett and Friedrichs next up.

15:09 The Tania and Richard Pilkington Talbot T26, currently 12th, pulls off on the Wellington straight with apparent technical problems. Chris Ball meanwhile spins at Club but continues.

14:46 The Pre War machines now are on track.

14:32 And there you have it - Gary Pearson has reclaimed provisional pole with less than a minute to go - a 2m 29.525.

14:30 The D-type is going again though...

14:02 Next up is the RAC Woodcote Trophy for Pre '56 Sports Cars.

14:01

13:56 Friedrichs-Hadfield claim a comfortable pole, by 2.6 seconds in the end, from Milner and Halusa's Breadvan.

13:48 Lukas Halusa's Breadvan has improved to third too, just eighth thousandths off Milner's time.

13:47 Friedrichs-Hadfield have just hit the top in Simon Hadfield's hands - a 2m 30.315, 1.7 seconds clear of Milner. They were just toying with us before, clearly.

13:46 Cosworth's 50th anniversary one of many landmarks being commemorated this weekend at Silverstone Classic. Other anniversaries more many others include Bruce McLaren's 80th year, Williams' 40th anniversary and the Jaguar XJ220's 25th year.

13:43

13:42 Milner is half a second clear of James Cottingham-Harvey Stanley E-Type, who is turn is two tenths clear of Martin O'Connell.

13:40 Christopher Milner is our early pace-setter - with a 2m 32.019 in his Jaguar E-Type. Friedrichs-Hadfield are ninth with a 2m 36.795 best.

12:47 U2TCs on track now.

12:42 Also likely to be at the U2TC sharp end is the Andy Wolfe/Richard Meaden Ford Lotus Cortina.

12:33 As usual it's a packed field for the U2TCs.

12:32 Autosport's resident technical expert Gary Anderson is enjoying the Silverstone Classic action too, our man on the ground Matt Kew's just had a chat with the F1 race-winning designer.

12:31 Next up, the John Fitzpatrick Trophy for Under 2 Litre Touring Cars. Features AC/DC's Brian Johnson in an Austin Mini and Steve Soper in a Lotus Cortina.

12:29