F1 2018: Lewis Hamilton's home comforts continue in qualifying

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London, July 7: Lewis Hamilton will start from pole position at the British Grand Prix for a fourth year in a row after qualifying fastest on Saturday (July 7).

Briton Hamilton has triumphed at Silverstone in each of the last four seasons - from the front on the last three occasions - and he will have every opportunity to do so again in 2018.

Having gone fastest in two of three practice sessions and then again in Q2, the defending Formula One champion pipped title rival Sebastian Vettel to pole.

Hamilton will start from the front for the sixth time at Silverstone and he now has a landmark 50 poles for Mercedes.

Vettel did well to be in the picture on Saturday after completing just eight laps of FP3 due to a neck complaint.

The Ferrari man was fastest through Q1 and then pipped Hamilton on the first flying lap of the decisive third session, but the Mercedes star - one point behind Vettel in the drivers' championship standings - responded by posting the latest in a series of track-record times.

Vettel had no answer and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen could only qualify third fastest.

Valtteri Bottas is one place further back, while Max Verstappen's prediction that Red Bull would not be "super competitive" bore true as he and Daniel Ricciardo came in fifth and sixth.

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 1:25.892secs

2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari): 1:25.936s

3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari): 1:25.990s

4. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes): 1:26.217s

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 1:26.602s

6. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull): 1:27.099s

7. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): 1:27.244s

8. Romain Grosjean (Haas): 1:27.455s

9. Charles Leclerc (Sauber): 1:27.879s

10. Esteban Ocon (Force India): 1:28.194s

Source: OPTA