FACTS AND STATS: Hamilton claims unwelcome record in Silverstone qualifying as Norris takes 3rd front row

Virtual Statman

Sean Kelly
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NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes climbs through a pit

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris claimed the front row for Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, as Sergio Perez endured more struggles, taking P16 on the grid. With qualifying done and dusted, let’s take a look at the best facts and stats from a superb qualifying at the Northamptonshire track.

  • Verstappen’s fifth consecutive pole position is the longest P1 run of his career – Verstappen claiming his 50th front-row start ahead of his 150th start for Red Bull at Silverstone.

  • It was also the first time since Mark Webber in 2011 that a Red Bull was quickest in Q3 at Silverstone – Webber now the manager of Oscar Piastri, who took P3 for his best ever qualifying showing.

READ MORE: Verstappen beats Norris to pole in thrilling wet-dry qualifying at Silverstone

  • Perez failed to make Q3 for a fifth consecutive race – while it was also his third Q1 elimination of the year, despite Red Bull’s prowess in 2023 meaning they lead the constructors’ standings by 199 points from Mercedes.

  • P2 for Lando Norris was the third front-row start of his career, following on from Austria and Russia 2021.

  • The front-row start was also McLaren’s first at Silverstone since Heikki Kovalainen’s 2008 pole position.

  • With Piastri in P3, both McLarens start in the top three for the first time since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix – a race where they earned a one-two, with Daniel Ricciardo leading Norris home for a famous victory.

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 08: Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and

Norris and Piastri took P2 and P3

  • Last year’s pole-sitter Carlos Sainz was just 0.012s behind his team mate Charles Leclerc, the Ferraris P4 and P5.

  • George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are now 5-5 in their qualifying head-to-head for 2023 – but this was the first time Russell has out-qualified Hamilton in the last five races.

  • Seventh was Hamilton’s worst Silverstone qualifying since he took P8 on the grid at the 2012 British Grand Prix.

AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from qualifying for the British Grand Prix

  • Alex Albon took P8, having made it to Q3 in the last three races – the first time a Williams driver has done that since Felipe Massa in 2016/17.

  • Alonso made it to Q2 by just 0.019s – but his P9 starting position is his lowest grid slot of the year.

  • Nico Hulkenberg has out-qualified Kevin Magnussen 8-2 this year – but missed out on a fourth consecutive Q3 by just one place in P11.

Qualifying Highlights: 2023 British Grand Prix

  • Prior to Saturday, Lance Stroll had out-qualified Fernando Alonso in the last three races – but his P13 marked his third straight failure to make Q3 at Silverstone.

  • Similarly, Esteban Ocon has now failed to reach Q3 in his past four visits to Silverstone.

  • Logan Sargeant may not have joined Albon in Q3 – but he at least made the second Q2 appearance of his career.

IN PHOTOS: Check out the special driver helmets and car liveries for the British Grand Prix weekend

  • P15 marks Valtteri Bottas’s worst Silverstone starting position since his 2013 debut for Williams.

  • AlphaTauri have now lost both cars in Q1 on three consecutive occasions.

  • Zhou Guanyu reached Q3 here last year before his frightening start-line crash – but was out in Q1 on Saturday.

  • Kevin Magnussen has now failed to make it out of Q1 at Silverstone at his last five visits to the track.

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