Hamilton defies Mercedes expectations to 'seal British GP deal'

Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes defied its own expectations to seal the team's first front-row lockout for almost two years.

Mercedes' recent upward trajectory culminated in George Russell beating Hamilton to pole position in front of a partisan British crowd at Silverstone.

McLaren's Lando Norris claimed third as British drivers locked out the top three places on the grid for the first time since the 1968 South African Grand Prix when Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart performed the feat.

For a brief moment, Hamilton set the fastest time after crossing the line on his final flying lap, but seconds later, Russell netted his third F1 pole position to beat his fellow Briton by almost two-tenths of a second.

For Hamilton, it is his 11th front-row start at Silverstone, going beyond what was anticipated before qualifying. He said: "A big big thanks to this incredible crowd, so proud to be here - three Brits in the top three, incredible job.

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

Claiming the W15 "felt great", he added: "It was about getting the tyre temperatures in place, and sealing the deal when we had the time on track, and I think I was able to to do that.

"Ultimately, I had time left on the table, which George was able to find, but I feel really confident with the car tomorrow, and with the conditions we have, we can work together to keep Lando behind."