F1 LIVE | Verstappen shows the British who's boss as he snatches pole away during qualifying

Christian Horner may have revealed more than intended when asked about Max Verstappen’s contract during British GP media day. The Red Bull boss confirmed what GPblog has long reported, that Verstappen has performance clauses allowing him to walk away if the team falls short. One key clause? If Max drops out of the top three in the championship before the summer break, the option to exit is real.

Horner tried to play it safe, saying, “If things stay as they are, 100 per cent he’ll be with us next year.” But his next line, “Is it clear George Russell will 100 per cent be at Mercedes next year?” , might have told another story? The pressure on Red Bull to keep Max at the top of the standings is now unmistakable, and the rumour mill surrounding a Mercedes switch isn’t dying down anytime soon. The contract may be signed, but the story is wide open.

Lando Norris lit up Silverstone in FP2, delivering a blistering 1:25.816 to end Ferrari’s grip on the top spot and stamp McLaren’s authority heading into the weekend. Charles Leclerc settled for P2, 0.222s down, while Lewis Hamilton continued his strong home Grand Prix form with P3, having led much of the early running.

It was another head-scratcher for Max Verstappen, who could only manage P8 despite a fresh push on the softs, leaving him almost nine-tenths off the pace. Behind the headlines, drama unfolded as Carlos Sainz spun at Luffield, narrowly missing Hamilton on re-entry. While Leclerc hinted at issues with his front-left tyre costing him lap time, Norris maximised his run, and right now, it’s the McLaren garage that’s holding the cards.