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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Standard sport

Ferrari set pace in final practice as Charles Leclerc goes fastest ahead of British Grand Prix qualifying

Ferrari laid down the gauntlet to Lewis Hamilton as Charles Leclerc led a one-two for the Italian team in final practice ahead of the British Grand Prix.

On a cold and blustery morning at Silverstone, Leclerc finished just three hundredths of a second clear of Sebastian Vettel with Hamilton having to settle for third.

The British driver, who is bidding to win his home event for a record sixth time, ended the 60-minute running only 0.049 sec adrift of Leclerc.

Hamilton will surpass Jim Clark and Alain Prost as the master of the British race with another triumph on home soil tomorrow.

But the 34-year-old faces a fight from Ferrari with the Scuderia holding a slight advantage in the final running before pole.

Indeed, the top three drivers were separated by just half a tenth to tee up what could be a nail-biting qualifying session later this afternoon.

Red Bull driver Pierre Gasly finished fourth ahead of his team-mate Max Verstappen, while Valtteri Bottas was sixth.

British rookie Lando Norris was seventh for McLaren, the only other driver within one second of Leclerc's pace.

His fellow novice, the 21-year-old Englishman George Russell, was last but one, finishing four tenths clear of his Williams team-mate Robert Kubica.

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