F1 British GP live: Qualifying start time with Norris and Hamilton eyeing Silverstone pole

F1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES

• British Grand Prix 2025 schedule: FP3 (11:30am) and Qualifying (3pm)
• Norris pips Hamilton to top of timesheet in FP2 but the Ferraris are breathing down his neck
• Piastri leads Norris by 15 points in the world champioinship
• NEWS: George Russell is adamant that he will be at Mercedes in 2026
• PREVIEW: Lewis Hamilton returns to Silverstone in last chance saloon for first Ferrari year

The moment Oliver Bearman hit the barriers

FP3 top 10: Leclerc on top and Hamilton in 11th

1. Charles Leclerc

2. Oscar Piastri

3. Max Verstappen

4. Lando Norris

5. Yuki Tsunoda

6. Oliver Bearman

7. Alex Albon

8. George Russell

9. Isack Hadjar

10. Liam Lawson

Another rookies goes off: Bearman hits the wall as FP3 ends

Oliver Bearman loses his front wing as he crashes into the wall. A relatively quiet FP3 ended in chaos with two F1 rookies damaging their cars ahead of qualifying.

Bortoleto in the gravel, ends session with red flag

Gabriel Bortoleto’s green and black race car is facing the grandstands in the high-speed Becketts corner. With a snap, the Stake driver ran over the grass, breaking the suspension and flying into the gravel.

“I’m okay but the suspension is broken,” Bortoleto said over the radio.

Green flag flies: FP3 restarts at 12:31

With just under five minutes left of British Grand Prix practice, the green flag flies and the cars — in a traffic jam — all rush to get back on track and set a flying pace.

A revolving door of leaders: Leclerc takes top place ahead of Piastri

In a constant stream of new top-runners, Charles Leclerc re-takes the lead. Oscar Piastri was running in the top spot until Leclerc took it away with a 1:25.498 lap.

Red flag flies as debris falls on track

FP3 will pause as bodywork falls onto the track. The red flag interrupted a decent lap for Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen splits the two McLaren drivers

Despite brake balance and performance complaints, Max Verstappen rushes ahead to take second and split the two McLaren drivers: Oscar Piastri ahead and Lando Norris behind.

The Dutch driver was 7 kph faster than any other driver in Copse Corner, but he still struggles in the lower speed corners this weekend.

McLaren on top in FP3 with change of pace

One-thousandth of a second separates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in first and second as FP3 winds down.

The two McLarens weren’t showing their true pace earlier in the session as Ferrari, Mercedes and even Red Bull showed faster pace. We could have a four-team battle for qualifying later this Saturday.

"It's like a handbrake," Verstappen complains about the car's performance

Despite running in the top three, Max Verstappen isn’t quite happy with the brake balance this weekend. “It’s like a handbrake,” the Dutch driver said over the radio to his engineer.

The four-time champion is having a rough weekend, finishing 10th in FP1 and fifth in FP2.

Rain sprinkles in turn nine, reports Leclerc

Charles Leclerc, this weekend’s local weatherman, is keeping us all up-to-date on the ever-changing conditions.

“A little bit of rain before turn nine,” Leclerc said with 23 minutes left to go in FP3.

"What the **** was that," Albon swerves out of Stroll's dirty air in FP3

Just under 25 minutes left in FP3, Alex Albon steers his Williams out of Lance Stroll’s dirty air to avoid a collision. It was the first big moment this FP3 session, just after Kimi Antonelli had a moment in turn 12.

Leclerc leads halfway through FP3

Bearman leaps to sixth with surge of pace

In a shock surge of pace, Oliver Bearman’s Haas leaps into sixth. The rookie driver is running on mediums. The rest of the drivers running on medium tyres are below 11th place.

McLaren fails to break top five in FP3 as Antonelli takes fourth

With just under 32 minutes left in FP3, both McLarens can’t quite find the pace to launch into the top five. Both Mercedes keep Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri behind in sixth and seventh place.

Ferrari finds pace in FP3, followed by Mercedes and McLaren

It looks like the Ferrari vs. McLaren battle this weekend could include Mercedes as track temperatures cool.

Charles Leclerc currently tops the third free practice followed by a surprise performance by Max Verstappen. Hamilton is in third while his former teammate, George Russell, keeps the two McLarens behind.

"Wanting more," Williams team principal Vowles says

James Vowles, Williams’ team principal, gave some insight into what is going on within the team garage this weekend. Vowles said the team was “interrupted” yesterday as Williams attempted to work through a handful of issues from Austria.

Despite the interruptions, Vowles remains as hopeful as ever, saying he was happy with FP2. Alex Albon just missed out on a top 10 FP2 finish on Friday.

The historic British team is still aiming for more with the team principal wanting a top-10 finish this weekend.

“Proud of where we are as a team and looking forward to our future,” Vowles said.

Purple sectors for home hero Hamilton

This early on in FP3, it isn’t difficult to hit three purple sectors. Hamilton now leads the practice session this Saturday.

"Still no grip," Alpine out early as first cars on track for FP3

The two pink and cobalt blue race cars are the first to take the track during the third free practice session. Franco Colapinto’s Alpine sets the pace.

Pierre Gasly, who was just behind his younger teammate, expressed concern about the track’s grip: “Balance overall better but still no grip.”

Who will top FP3? British drivers dominate their home weekend so far

So far this British Grand Prix F1 weekend, British drivers have shown up and out at home. In the first practice session of the season, Lewis Hamilton seems to have a better handle on his car this weekend compared to recent frustrations. He was followed closely by Lando Norris.

The McLaren driver topped the second free practice session with Hamilton in third. One historic British team — Mercedes — is having a slower race weekend so far. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll split the two Mercedes in seventh place on Friday’s FP2 in a shock surge of pace.

FP3 kicks off qualifying Sunday with delayed 5 minute start

After two home heroes topped the first two practice sessions of the British Grand Prix weekend, who will end up on top on ahead of qualifying on Saturday? Lewis Hamilton drove his Ferrari to the top position on the leaderboard in FP1 and McLaren’s Lando Norris topped the second practice session on Friday.

The third hour of free practice kicks off a bit delayed. Stay tuned for live updates.

FP3 set to be a weather test for Mercedes

George Russell said the team’s race pace this weekend will be defined by weather conditions as the wind picks up and clouds cover the track.

Warm track temperatures on Friday prevented the team from pulling ahead and ending up on top.

"It's a little bit frustrating for us that every single week we are at the mercy of the weather, and we need to improve that,” Russell said ahead of the third free practice this British Grand Prix weekend.

Lando Norris strives to knock Lewis Hamilton off British No 1 perch: ‘That’s my goal’

Lando Norris said he wants to overtake Lewis Hamilton as the British number one as he admitted winning at Silverstone would be the crowning moment of his career.

Norris heads into his home race fresh from an impressive victory over Oscar Piastri which puts him 15 points behind his McLaren team-mate ahead of the British Grand Prix.

Missing out on world title would not be failure – Lando Norris

It was another encouraging day for Lando Norris yesterday as he topped the timings in FP2. He’s right in the world title hunt, but the McLaren driver insists that his season will not be a failure even if he misses out to teammate Oscar Piastri.

Max Verstappen ‘clear’ about ending his F1 career in a Red Bull, says team boss

Christian Horner said Max Verstappen has made it clear that he wants to end his Formula One career in a Red Bull amid interest from rivals’ Mercedes.

Verstappen’s future is under scrutiny ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix with Red Bull under-performing and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff making moves for the Dutchman.

George Russell is out of contract at the end of the year but the Englishman is extremely confident he will be retained, while his team-mate, rookie Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, also believes he will drive for Mercedes in 2026.

Verstappen has a deal with Red Bull which runs until 2028, although a performance clause could activate an early release. Verstappen is third in the world championship, 61 points title leader Oscar Piastri.

However, Horner said: “Max has a contract until 2028, and he has made it quite clear that he would like to finish his career in a Red Bull car, from start to finish. That is something which is unique and special to him.

“Max has been with Red Bull since the start of his career, his success has come with Red Bull, he is a big part of our team and he has a great deal of faith in the team and the people around him.

“So, while there is always speculation and noise we all sit fairly comfortably with where we are at, and what the situation is.

“In any driver’s contract there are performance clauses, and that exists for Max, too, but his intention is that he will be driving for us in 2026. The most important thing is the clarity that exists between Max and the team and that is very clear.”

Christian Horner (left) believes Max Verstappen wants to stay at Red Bull (Getty Images)

George Russell adamant he will not be leaving Mercedes: ‘Toto has never let me down’

George Russell believes he won’t be leaving Mercedes at the end of the season despite speculation linking Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with the team.

Russell, who is in the middle of his fourth season with Mercedes, does not currently have a contract beyond 2025 despite a strong first half of the season.

Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen has long been courted by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and reports in Italian media this week state that the Dutchman is open to the prospect of joining the Silver Arrows next year. Russell revealed last week that Mercedes are in discussions with Verstappen.

But Russell, who is in the midst of his first campaign without Lewis Hamilton as his teammate, insists he is unconcerned.

Lewis Hamilton returns to Silverstone in last chance saloon for first Ferrari year

If you’d told Lewis Hamilton four months ago, amid the hoopla of Formula One’s biggest-ever driver move, that he would be “hoping and praying” for a strong result at his beloved Silverstone, he’d likely have laughed you out of the room. Either that or he’d have rolled his eyes. Take your pick.

After all, this was the seven-time F1 world champion moving to the fabled Ferrari. A driver in need of rejuvenation after three years of frustration at Mercedes was joining a team seemingly on the up, having come within a whisker of last year’s constructors’ title. Everything seemed perfectly aligned. With the whole world watching, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, come race 12 and the halfway stage of the 2025 season, the answer is unavoidable: pretty much everything.

American Mayer announces candidacy for FIA president

American Tim Mayer announced on Friday that he would stand against incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem in a December vote for president of the FIA, motorsport's world governing body.

The 59-year-old, a former Formula One steward and son of former McLaren principal Teddy Mayer, left the FIA last November.

He said then that he had been fired via text message by an assistant to Ben Sulayem. The FIA dispute that he was sacked by text.

"What I see is a failure in leadership right now," he told a press conference at a hotel near the British Grand Prix circuit Silverstone, adding that he had been working on his campaign for six months.

He described his bid as a Herculean task with the deck stacked in Ben Sulayem's favour, given recent statute changes, and only five months to campaign and win votes from member federations. Mayer did not say who would be on his presidential list, a requirement for standing, which he admitted still had some open positions.

He said he had good support from Motorsport UK and had informed Stefano Domenicali, chief executive of Liberty Media-owned Formula One, of his plans.

"The job now is to go out and explain to lots of small clubs around the world ... why we can do a better job," said Mayer. "Explaining how we can bring value and restructure the FIA to do a better job. I do feel restructuring needs to happen."

Christian Horner backs Yuki Tsunoda to keep seat for remainder of 2025 F1 season

Christian Horner says Yuki Tsunoda will get the rest of 2025 to show he deserves to keep a seat at Red Bull, but signaled he'd consider a range of options inside and outside the wider Red Bull organization, including Liam Lawson and his rookie Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar.

Tsunoda was promoted to Verstappen's teammate in March after Lawson struggled in the first two races.

"Yuki has got until the end of the season to demonstrate that he's the guy to remain in the car," Horner said. "We have Isack also doing a good job and Liam finding his form as well. So within the Red Bull pool we have talent. Of course, you're also open to what is outside of that. We want to field the best lineup that we can for next year. We've gone outside of that pool in recent years. If we feel the necessity to do so, we wouldn't be afraid to do so again."

Lando Norris reacts to fast FP2

Lando Norris lapped fastest ahead of the Ferraris in British Grand Prix practice on Friday as an army of McLaren Formula One fans, many cheering from a sold-out 'Landostand', got what they wanted to see.

The Briton was top of the second session with a best effort of one minute 25.816 seconds, with Charles Leclerc 0.222 slower and Lewis Hamilton 0.301 off the pace after going quickest in the first practice.

"I think we have a bit of work to do, to be honest," said Norris. "It looks maybe a bit too good today, like always.

"Ferrari always catch up into P3 (final practice) like they did last weekend so I’d say I'm pleased with today but nothing to be too proud about just yet."

Final times after 2nd practice

11 Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:26.840

12 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 1:26.876

13 Gabriel Bortoleto (Bra) Kick Sauber 1:26.904

14 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Haas F1 1:26.941

15 Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Red Bull 1:26.980

16 Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spa) Williams 1:27.159

17 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Kick Sauber 1:27.165

18 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 1:27.174

19 Oliver Bearman (Gbr) Haas F1 1:27.226

20 Franco Colapinto (Arg) Alpine 1:27.289

Final times after 2nd practice

Final Times after 2nd Practice

1 Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1min 25.816secs

2 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:26.038

3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Ferrari 1:26.117

4 Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1:26.286

5 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:26.314

6 Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Ita) Mercedes GP 1:26.383

7 Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:26.430

8 George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:26.523

9 Isack Hadjar (Fra) RB 1:26.524

10 Liam Lawson (Nzl) RB 1:26.624

British Grand Prix practice

(AFP via Getty Images)

(David Davies/PA Wire)

(AFP via Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton ‘hoping and praying’ to return to podium at British Grand Prix

“I am hoping and praying,” said Hamilton. “There is always magic here at Silverstone. It is a very, very special race and I am hoping all sorts of things can help us because we are not as quick as McLaren. If it stays dry they will walk the race.

“I don’t look at those (podium) statistics so it is not something that affects me or I think about. But we are here at Silverstone and what better place to change that run so that is what we are working towards.

“I cannot wait for Friday. Driving a Ferrari at Silverstone for the first time will be special and unique in its own way. We have the best fans here, and for a British driver they really do make a difference. I have shown that to you time and time again so I hope this weekend they really make the difference for us.”

Brown plays down rivalry between Norris and Piastri

Norris is 15 points behind Piastri heading into his home race at Silverstone. The McLaren drivers appear to be handling the heat of vying for the title as team-mates but it is a recipe which traditionally does not end well in Formula One. Yet, McLaren CEO Zak Brown insists their rivalry will not boil over.

“The relationship they have is fantastic,” said Brown. We have put a lot of time and effort on building the chemistry within the team and that starts with the drivers.

“You saw how they handled their collision in Canada, and how they conducted themselves after that, and I see no reason why they can’t have a battle all the way to the end, remain very good team-mates, and may the best man win. I am sure they will shake hands and congratulate each other after.”

Max Verstappen ‘clear’ about ending his F1 career in a Red Bull, says team boss

Christian Horner said Max Verstappen has made it clear that he wants to end his Formula One career in a Red Bull amid interest from rivals’ Mercedes.

However, Horner said: “Max has a contract until 2028, and he has made it quite clear that he would like to finish his career in a Red Bull car, from start to finish. That is something which is unique and special to him.

“Max has been with Red Bull since the start of his career, his success has come with Red Bull, he is a big part of our team and he has a great deal of faith in the team and the people around him.

“So, while there is always speculation and noise we all sit fairly comfortably with where we are at, and what the situation is.

“In any driver’s contract there are performance clauses, and that exists for Max, too, but his intention is that he will be driving for us in 2026. The most important thing is the clarity that exists between Max and the team and that is very clear.”

Christian Horner concedes defeat in Max Verstappen F1 title bid

“You could see how McLaren are racing each other. They’ve got a cushion to the rest. For us we just focus on one race at a time. We don’t even think about championships.

“What’s truly impressive is when you look at how close Oscar is able to run behind Lando with a car fat on fuel, at the beginning of the race, and he’s basically making love to his f****** exhaust pipe lap after lap after lap and the tyres are not dying.

“That is their advantage. I can’t see any other car that would be able to follow that closely and not grain the front tyres or the rear tyres.”

George Russell adamant he will not be leaving Mercedes: ‘Toto has never let me down’

George Russell believes he won’t be leaving Mercedes at the end of the season despite speculation linking Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with the team.

Russell, who is in the middle of his fourth season with Mercedes, does not currently have a contract beyond 2025 despite a strong first half of the season.

Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen has long been courted by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and reports in Italian media this week state that the Dutchman is open to the prospect of joining the Silver Arrows next year. Russell revealed last week that Mercedes are in discussions with Verstappen.

But Russell, who is in the midst of his first campaign without Lewis Hamilton as his teammate, insists he is unconcerned.

“There’s a lot of conversations behind the scenes that are not public and I know where their loyalty lies,” Russell said, ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

F1 standings ahead of British Grand Prix

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 216 points

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 201 points

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 155 points

4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 146 points

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 119 points

6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 91 points

7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points

8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 42 points

9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 23 points

10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 22 points

11. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points

12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 14 points

13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 14 points

14. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points

15. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 12 points

16. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 11 points

17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points

18. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points

19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 4 points

20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points

21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points

Lando Norris sets the pace in FP2

It’s a promising weekend for Lando Norris, who aims to build on his big win in Austria and win his home grand prix for the first time.

And the McLaren driver follows in his countryman Lewis Hamilton’s suit to top the timesheet after FP2 - making it an all-English affair so far at Silverstone!

The Ferraris are on his tail and have made a statement after an underwhelming season so far, with both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finishing in the top three.

Lewis Hamilton returns to Silverstone in last chance saloon for first Ferrari year

If you’d told Lewis Hamilton four months ago, amid the hoopla of Formula One’s biggest-ever driver move, that he would be “hoping and praying” for a strong result at his beloved Silverstone, he’d likely have laughed you out of the room. Either that or he’d have rolled his eyes. Take your pick.

After all, this was the seven-time F1 world champion moving to the fabled Ferrari. A driver in need of rejuvenation after three years of frustration at Mercedes was joining a team seemingly on the up, having come within a whisker of last year’s constructors’ title. Everything seemed perfectly aligned. With the whole world watching, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, come race 12 and the halfway stage of the 2025 season, the answer is unavoidable: pretty much everything.

British Grand Prix 2025 schedule

all times BST

5 July

FP3 - 11:30am

Qualifying - 3pm

6 July

Grand Prix - 3pm