Lewis Hamilton admitted his late mistake denied him a dream pole position for Sunday’s British Grand Prix. Max Verstappen came from nowhere to take his third pole of the year with a brilliant lap to silence the Silverstone crowd. Oscar Piastri finished second with McLaren team-mate and championship rival Lando Norris third.

However, a mistake in the final complex cost the Brit time and meant he was unable to improve on his initial Q3 run. It left the nine-time British GP winner more than two tenths away from Max Verstappen, who delivered a stunning lap to steal pole position away from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

So when Norris swung through Abbey with the lead as the British fans roared, it felt like a breath of fresh air in a season that, thanks to Verstappen’s dominance, had started to feel a little suffocating. Of course, it lasted just four minutes before Verstappen retook the narrative, the lead and the win.