Valtteri Bottas claimed his first pole position since the Spanish Grand Prix with a lap that was just good enough to beat his teammate Lewis Hamilton by just 0.006 seconds at Silverstone.
In muggy conditions, many drivers made mistakes on their flying laps, and Bottas' first run in Q3 was enough to pip Hamilton to the best spot on the grid for Sunday's race.
Bottas told David Coulthard after the session: "It was very good again, it reminds you why you do this. It's been pretty close all weekend and today with Lewis - it's good to get a good lap and get pole.
"I knew the first lap was good but it wasn't perfect and honestly I should've improved in the second run and I'm glad it was enough - its not easy to get a lap together."
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Japanese Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
02:30 AM
Practice 2
06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
02:30 AM
Qualification
06:00 AM
Sunday 29.03.26
Race
05:00 AM
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
Fri 02:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
Sat 02:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 06:00 AM
Sunday 29.03.26
Race
Sun 05:00 AM
Times are in your local timezone
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 51 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 47 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 34 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 33 | |
5 | HaasHAA | 17 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 15 | |
7 | AlpineALP | 9 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 8 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 8 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 4 |
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