Hamilton on pole in British GP

Silverstone, July 7

An emotional Lewis Hamilton put Mercedes on pole position for his home British Grand Prix on Saturday after giving his all to stay ahead of Ferrari's Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel in a knife-edge qualifying.

The difference between the four times world champions came down to just 0.044 seconds at the end, with Vettel 0.057 faster after their first flying laps around a sizzling Silverstone circuit. Hamilton, who will be chasing his fifth successive home win on Sunday to retake the lead from his German rival, was shaking as he parked up, leapt out and punched the air.

His lap of one minute 25.892 seconds was a track record. “I gave it everything I could, but it was so close with these Ferraris," he said, addressing the crowd with their Hamilton banners and flags. "I was just praying I could do it for you guys." Vettel, who had suffered a cricked neck in final practice that left him unsure whether he would be able to take part in the session, said he had lost pace on the straight but was happy with his afternoon. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen will line up third with Valtteri Bottas. — Reuters