The business at Silverstone
Seb aching for victory BREN SMASHED
up a lot of pace today. I’m grateful for the team working so hard.”
With the temperatures again likely to be in the 80s – and well into three figures trackside – Hamilton, 33, will have to dig deep again to bring home a record-breaking sixth domestic Grand Prix overall – and his fifth on the trot.
Demanding
The performance of the two Ferraris had clearly given him a lot of food for thought.
Hamilton added: “I think its going to be a demanding race. The track is the hottest it has been for a long time and the car is faster than last year.
“I definitely think it’s going to be more intense. We are going to be close. It’s going to be tight.
“I think it’s going to be like that all the way.” SEBASTIAN VETTEL wanted to be a pain in the neck to Lewis Hamilton – but instead it looks like he will have to overcome one.
The German driver gritted his teeth during qualifying after suffering a mystery issue overnight.
Vettel, 31, nursed his way through but maintained he will be fit enough to take second place on the grid.
He attempted to make light of the apparent neck problem but clearly it was causing some discomfort afterwards as the demanding conditions at Silverstone brought him no respite.
He said: “It wasn’t the most enjoyable session – but I did it. It was fine. We had to go out a bit earlier than I wanted.
“I don’t know what has happened to it. It went stiff. Then, we loosened it up. A sleep tonight will help.”
It looked for a long time during qualifying that Hamilton would be denied his dream of landing pole.
There was little to choose between the first three. Vettel knows that he has the match of his Mercedes rival if qualifying is anything to go by.
And Vettel insisted: “There’s a difference of less than half of onetenth of a second.
“It’s such a little time. It’s practically the same lap.” WHILE Lewis Hamilton was tearing up the track Brendon Hartley escaped a terrifying 200mph crash.
The rookie driver suffered a dramatic car failure in final practice.
Hartley’s suspension broke on his Toro Rosso under braking at the Wellington Straight which sent the New Zealander spiralling out of control.
His car dug into the grass before he flew across the gravel and head on into the tyre wall at Brooklands.
Miraculously, the 28-year-old emerged from his destroyed car (left), and walked away without significant injury.
He gave the thumbs up to the Silverstone crowd, and a subsequent medical examination declared he would be fit to race on for the remainder of the weekend.