Hamilton hadn't expected 'huge' front row for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton insisted that neither he nor the team had been expecting to complete a front row lock-out for Mercedes for Sunday's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Hamilton narrowly missed out on pole position to George Russell by just 0.171s thanks to his team mate finishing the lap just after Hamilton, getting the best of the track evolution on a day best by rain and showers.

With Russell on pole, and Lando Norris right behind them, it's the first time that a British GP at Silverstone has seen an all-British top three on the grid. The last time it happened was at Aintree in 1962.

The last time that a British trio locked out the top three of any race was in 1968 when Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart were at the front for the South African Grand Prix.

It's an extraordinary feat made all the more startling by just how unexpected it was at Mercedes, with Hamilton admitting that they thought it would be tough to get onto the front row this weekend.

• Read also: Russell, Hamilton and Norris sweep top three for British GP grid

"We definitely did not expect to be front row this weekend," said Hamilton. "This is huge for us, the team. The car felt fantastic so everyone in the garage, all our team here, deserve this."

Hamilton said that the W15 finally "felt great", and praised the support from the home crowd in boosting all three of the drivers to the top of the pile in qualifying.

"A big big thanks to this incredible crowd," he said. "So proud to be here, three Brits in the top three. Incredible job."

The weather had also played a part, with conditions drying up from earlier rain but still proving unusually cool and breezy for July.

"It was about getting the tyre temperatures in place, and sealing the deal when we had the time on track," he said. "I think I was able to to do that. Ultimately I had time left on the table, which George was able to find.

"I feel really confident with the car tomorrow, and with the conditions we have, we can work together to keep Lando behind."

There will also be the inevitable threat from Max verstappen, who sustained floor damage to the Red Bull in the first round of qualifying that will be repaired in time for tomorrow's race.

It will be Hamilton's 11th front row start at Silverstone. he's won eight races here, more than any other driver, while Verstappen won his first and to date only British GP one year ago in 2023.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter