While all the signs pointed to a McLaren-Ferrari battle in qualifying at the British Grand Prix, Max Verstappen delivered a stunning performance on his final timed lap in Q3 to snatch pole away from Oscar Piastri. F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo delivers drivers' reactions.

Red Bull

“I’m very happy to be on Pole today. It was unexpected as we had quite a tricky day yesterday, but I’m happy with our performance today. It has been difficult this week and we have tried a few things to fix both the understeer and oversteer we have been experiencing.

"In Qualifying, everyone was struggling with the wind and with the weather turning, but then we felt a lot more stable towards the end and the balance was better. We ultimately had a lot lower downforce than the others so were quicker on the straight. We really put it together today in Q3 and on that final run. In the first corner I could feel more grip and balance and then this continued into turns six and seven. We were already three tenths up and I really didn’t want to make a mistake going into the final sector!

"It was also great to find the potential out of the upgrade and this is a great boost for the Team. Tomorrow will be difficult; tyre management is going to be important as the wear has always been tough round here, so we hope we can be competitive and can hopefully give it a good go.”

Yuki Tsunoda, 12th, 1:25.826

“I did a normal launch into the push lap and had some loss of power. Then I didn’t have the energy I should get until Turn 3 and I lost around one tenth. Elsewhere in the lap I didn’t feel the boost I should have, we could see the loss in the data clearly. It is so annoying having these kinds of issues when it counts.

"I was confident in the build up to the weekend and the car felt good too, so it’s frustrating. I think Q3 was very much possible without the issue. I was building up a good pace and was extracting performance from the car. I think I made a really good step this weekend with the car, so it is a huge frustration, I just want to have a normal qualifying session.

"The target now is points and I am in a better position than I have been in previous weeks to do that. I am pretty happy with the set up and the modifications we have made throughout the weekend, so I am feeling optimistic. I had a positive feeling with the long-run pace in FP2 and I know what to do better in the race tomorrow.”

McLaren

“It was a great Qualifying session. It’s very fast around Silverstone, very enjoyable and I’m not going to be unhappy with a third. We didn’t quite have enough pace today, but still a good day. It’s tiny things here that put you ahead or behind. We saw yesterday how close it was going to be, with hundredths here and there. I think it’s going to be fun tomorrow: not just us and Max – Ferrari are in it, George as well. We’ve got a very interesting British Grand Prix ahead – and I’m looking forward to it.”

“We’re starting on the front row tomorrow. My first Q3 lap was mega, and I was thinking about how I might go faster, but wasn’t able to put it all together for the second run. It’s been tight all weekend, so it’s going to be close tomorrow, but we’ve got the pace to fight for the win. We’ve tried a lot of things this weekend to find a little more, and the team’s done a very good job to get us to where we are. It’s going to be an exciting race tomorrow.”

Mercedes

"I am very happy with P4 today as we’ve been off the pace at the very front all weekend. I would have definitely taken that if I had been offered it at the start of the day. We only had one new set of Soft tyres for Q3 so we had to make that final lap count. I thought I managed a solid effort and, whilst it is slightly frustrating to be just over one tenth off pole and a few hundredths from the front row, we’ve given ourselves a good chance of fighting for the podium on Sunday.

"Tomorrow’s forecast is mixed which may offer some opportunities for us. We know just how changeable the weather can be here. It is also likely to be cooler and more overcast than we saw on Friday, so hopefully our long run pace is stronger than we showed in FP2. Whatever the situation, I am ready to give it my all at my home race and put on a show in front of this incredible British crowd."

"It hasn’t been an easy weekend for us so far, but we were able to put in a solid performance come Qualifying. My lap was nothing special and I struggled in sector two, but the rest of the lap was OK. We’ve been lacking a bit of stability in the high-speed, which is not the feeling you want around a track like Silverstone with so many fast corners. On my final effort, the rear wasn’t quite as planted as I would have liked; that cost me a bit of confidence and probably a little bit of time too.

"We will see what we can do tomorrow. We have to serve our three-place grid penalty from Austria which is not ideal but hopefully the conditions will present us with some opportunities. There is some rain on the forecast, and it should be much cooler than it was on Friday anyway. That should hopefully bring the car towards us. We will see what we’re facing come lights out and build from there."

Ferrari

"I’m not happy with my qualifying today. The mistake in the last corner of my final lap in Q3 cost me at least one or two tenths, which in this case could have put me on the front row for the race. That's disappointing, and I will focus on putting it all together going forward. With our car being stronger in the race than in qualifying so far this season, there is a chance we can do something tomorrow.

"However, starting from the third row means we have to fight our way forward at the start, which we pay for later in the race due to tyre degradation. We will have to find the right balance tomorrow and work on bringing a good result home for the team."

"It was a very competitive qualifying session. Q2 was strong, but I wasn’t able to extract the improvement we were aiming for on the final lap of Q3, so ultimately we’ll start P5. I’m really proud of the way the team has worked all weekend, there were plenty of positive signs in practice.

"Tomorrow won’t be easy with the cars ahead, but there’s something special about Silverstone. The energy from the crowd here is incredible, and I’m looking forward to giving it everything out there."

Haas

“It’s very close out there – as always – and unfortunately there were a few issues on the out lap and it wasn’t a clean last run. We’ll see what the weather is like tomorrow, if degradation is high it should open up opportunities, but it currently looks more difficult than the last two races, however things are going in the right direction and we’ll give it our best shot tomorrow.”

“It was a good qualifying session and the car feels really good today, the car has been performing as expected and we’ve shown that on a Saturday which feels good. The team has done a great job today, so it hurts, but the car was easily into Q3 and if we have a good qualifying, I think it means we’ve got a really good race car.”

Aston Martin

"I'm happy with today and to be in Q3 again. It wasn't a straightforward FP3 session for us and because of this we went into Qualifying a little more unknown with the car setup. We tested the new upgrades this weekend too and it seems a small step in the right direction. So, all in all, I think we can be pleased to be starting P7 tomorrow after a well-executed Qualifying session.

"Let's see what we can do tomorrow. We will keep an eye on the weather and I would quite like there to be some rain as it can mix things up. There are some fast cars around us and it will be a long race, but let's see if we can score some more points."

"Overall a tricky day and Qualifying session for us here in Silverstone. I was really happy with the car setup yesterday, but today I struggled with balance and pace, similar to last weekend where we looked competitive on Friday, but then struggled during Qualifying on lower fuel loads.

"We will need to look into this to understand it better because I'm not sure why. It’s going to be a really tough day tomorrow starting from the back, but we’ll see what we can do."

Alpine

“I am very happy with today's Qualifying, especially considering how complicated this weekend has been for the team so far. We did not show much pace yesterday or even this morning in Free Practice 3. We stuck together as a team, made some changes, and just tried to maximise the package, so credit to everyone for doing a fantastic job.

"I am very pleased for them that we reached Q3 as it certainly did not look promising up until then on a track which we knew would be tough for us. Conditions have been tricky with the wind gusts, so it has been difficult to be completely happy in the car. We sneaked through Q1 and then the Q2 lap was a really good one to reach Q3.

"Tomorrow, we start in eighth place and we have given ourselves a chance to score points. The reality is, it will not be easy but we will be ready for the fight. There could be some rain too, so we have to be prepared to take any opportunity.”

“Overall, it was a frustrating way to end our day and it was a pity that we could not make it back to the garage to complete a final run in Q1. The conditions were tricky, as they have been all weekend, and I was pushing and lost the car on the exit kerb of the last corner.

"I was pushing hard trying to find the gaps we are missing, and I unfortunately lost the rear of the car. There was some contact with the tyre barrier and I thought it was okay, as we managed to rejoin the track. However, there were some vibrations and we decided to pull over and stop on track.

"Sorry to the team and we will keep working and try our best in the race tomorrow. Looking at the forecast and the possibility of rain for the Grand Prix, we will try to maximise any opportunities that come our way and make up some positions. Also, well done to the team and Pierre for the turnaround they had given the difficulties we have faced across the weekend.”

Williams

"We need to review what happened today. We put on new tyres after Franco crashed, then went out when a Red Flag was likely coming, so we ultimately wasted a set. That left us on used tyres for our first Q2 run, which actually went well, but we had a compromised second run.

"We’ve been quick all weekend, so it’s frustrating. The car is getting faster and should’ve been in Q3. I’m not saying I’m happy with my job in Q2, but we’re not always making it easy for ourselves. We’re always focusing on improving things at Williams, so it’s days like this that highlight areas for us to work on."

"I don’t think there was much more for us out there today. I missed Q3 by the slightest of margins, but this weekend we’ve been consistently running in the gap between P10 and P14, so I think our position is representative of where we are. We’ve been dedicating this weekend to a lot of set-up experimentation, so it hasn’t been the ideal build-up to Qualifying, but in the end, my lap felt really clean.

"I have trust in our race pace tomorrow, so we’ll do our best to fight for those points and be ready to take any opportunities. It’s incredible the amount of support we have at home, and I want to thank our fans with a good race!"

Racing Bulls

"It was a disappointing Qualifying. We’ve had a great car all weekend and a good start to the session today, but then I felt that we reached the limit of the car very early, whilst other teams were able to keep finding pace.

"I felt I was a bit on the edge and therefore unable to find more lap time. We’ve been struggling a bit on a single lap, so looking at tomorrow, I think the long run is going to be difficult, but obviously we’ll give it our all to fight for points as it will be a long race.”

"A Q1 exit is really frustrating, especially since we’ve had a fast car all weekend. Unfortunately, the drop in temperature meant we couldn’t get the tyres up to the right temperature, I had no grip starting the lap and it didn’t improve as the lap went on. It’s a shame to throw away a Qualifying session like that.

"These tyres are very sensitive, but that’s nothing new, and we should have handled it better. Starting from where we are, we’ll need to consider an alternative strategy for tomorrow. Anything can happen, the weather here is unpredictable. We’ll push for a top 10 finish, but it’s going to be a tough race.”

Kick Sauber

"So far, it’s been a tough weekend for us, and the lack of pace was clear from the start. As the wind picked up, Sector 1 became even more challenging, and I wasn’t able to put the lap together the way I wanted. The windy conditions, especially as the light rain approached, made things difficult. While everyone had to deal with it, we seemed to be a bit more affected.

“Compared to recent weekends where we were competitive, this circuit has highlighted some of our limitations. This track layout simply doesn’t suit us as well as others. Hopefully, some changeable conditions tomorrow will give us an opportunity to fight back."

“It’s been a difficult weekend for us so far. From the first session, we struggled with overall pace and balance compared to recent events, and the gusty wind made it even tougher – it's something our car doesn’t cope with well, though that’s the same for everyone. Compared to Austria, where we were strong across all sessions, this circuit just didn’t suit us.

"Unfortunately, I had a couple of spins during practice, which damaged the upgraded floor, so I had to run the older spec in qualifying. That definitely didn’t help in such a tight midfield, but I still gave it everything I had. I don’t think there was much more left to extract today.

“Despite the setbacks, my confidence hasn’t been affected. Spinning or even crashing is part of the job when you’re pushing the car to the limit – it's not ideal, of course, and I’m sorry to the team for the extra work. They did an incredible job to get the car rebuilt in time, and I’m really grateful for that.

"In qualifying, I was already pushing hard from the first lap and felt strong—even in the same corner where I’d gone off earlier. Tomorrow, we’ll try to make the most of any opportunities. If the weather turns chaotic, we may get opportunities to move forward. I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”