Verstappen takes pole position at Silverstone

AFP and Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, July 6, 2025, p. a11

Reigning four-time world champion, Dutchman Max Verstappen, took pole position for the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Great Britain after finishing fastest in yesterday's qualifying session, ahead of the McLarens driven by Australian Oscar Piastri and Briton Lando Norris, who finished second and third respectively.

On the iconic English Silverstone circuit, where the first F1 Grand Prix was held 75 years ago, the Red Bull driver, third in the overall standings, achieved a favorable position to try to defeat Piastri, the championship leader, and Norris, who occupies second place.

Before Sunday's race, Piastri held a 15-point lead over Norris and a 61-point lead over Verstappen, and is forced to hold his own if he wants to secure a fifth consecutive title.

Along with Norris, Britain's George Russell (Mercedes) will be on the second row of the grid in fourth place.

The two Ferraris will be on the third row, with Englishman Lewis Hamilton starting from fifth place and Monegasque Charles Leclerc from sixth.

Hamilton has won this Grand Prix nine times in the past, at his talismanic Silverstone circuit, but a tenth victory seems unlikely today.

Since leaving Mercedes at the end of last season and joining Ferrari, the 40-year-old veteran driver has failed to finish on the podium in any of the main races of any Grand Prix so far.

For his part, Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) was seventh in qualifying, but will start the race tenth due to a three-place penalty for being found guilty of an accident with Verstappen last Sunday in Austria.

In this way, the Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) will start seventh, the Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpine) eighth, the also Iberian Carlos Sainz ninth (Williams) and Antonelli tenth.

Meanwhile, Mexican driver Patricio O'Ward will start today from 15th place in the IndyCar Mid-Ohio 200, after losing several positions in yesterday's qualifying session. He had posted the fourth-fastest time in the second practice session and finished second in the first, held on Friday.

Championship leader Alex Palou of Spain extended his dominance by taking pole for this race, where he will seek his seventh win of the season.