World of sport

Lewis Hamilton was denied pole position for the British Grand Prix by just six thousandths of a second yesterday.

Valtteri Bottas will start from the front at Silverstone despite Hamilton’s last-gasp effort to usurp his Mercedes team-mate. Mercedes locked out the front row for today’s race with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. Pierre Gasly starts fifth with Sebastian Vettel a disappointing sixth.

Hamilton was bidding to secure his fifth consecutive pole at the Northamptonshire circuit, but the world champion made a critical error on his first run in the shootout for pole.

The Briton wobbled through Brooklands, temporarily losing control of his Mercedes, to leave him well behind Bottas ahead of the final runs.

Hamilton attempted to make amends for his error, but despite improving on his time it would prove no match for the Finn – Bottas ending Hamilton’s streak of four poles.

“It wasn’t good enough,” said Hamilton in front of a flat British crowd. “We worked hard but it got away from us.

“I had that mistake on the first lap and the second one wasn’t that great.”

Leclerc ran the Mercedes drivers close, finishing one tenth shy of Bottas at an overcast and blustery Silverstone, but his Ferrari team-mate Vettel struggled and was seven-tenths off the pace.

British teenager Lando Norris will line up from eighth in his maiden home event following another encouraging weekend.