Lewis Hamilton talking to the BBC's Jennie Gow: "We had some problems with the balance of the car yesterday, but we rectified it last night and I'm looking forward to today.

"It's crazy how many people will be coming today - thanks so much to everybody."

Ian Fergusson (BBC Weather on Twitter):, external Air 21C & track temp 26.5C ahead of P3. It'll be dry, breezy but sunnier all day, rising to 25-26C later.

Image source, Getty Images

Nico Rosberg has said he must raise his game "like Andy Murray" has in tennis to beat Mercedes' team-mate and world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Wimbledon is going on you see.

He's being topical.

*cough*

Chris Raynes on Twitter: We're ready and waiting!! #backthebrits

Image source, Chris Raynes

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

"Formula 1's existential crisis continues apace, and the regular team principals' news conference on Friday was dominated by it. It was a slow-burner, but it came alive when Lotus chief executive officer Matthew Carter, in his wisdom, blamed the media for much of the negativity surrounding the sport. That went down well, as you can imagine.

"The news conference got a bit tasty as it was pointed out that, in fact, many of the 'negative' stories that have been written have been based on quotes from leading figures in the sport, particularly Bernie Ecclestone, who a few weeks ago gave a quote to AFP that he had told the engineers they had given him 'a crap product to sell'. The bosses in the conference were asked whether, if their chief executive had described their product in such a way, they would expect them to be fired. Force India boss Vijay Mallya invented a new word, and generated a lot of laughs, when he said: 'How would I respond to the chief executive's comment that he had a crappy product to sell? He shouldn't be selling the product if he thought it was crap.

"Considering he sells the product he calls crap, but he makes billions out of it, he needs to work with the participants to uncrap it.'"

Williams on Twitter:, external The calm before/after the storm. Hope all those camping Silverstone withstood the wind and rain. It's quali day!!

Image source, Williams

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

"Nico Rosberg has produced this weekend one of those fascinating little snippets of information that gets to the heart of whatever matter it is. 'This is a great track,' he said, asked for his feelings about Silverstone. 'It's the fastest track of the year in terms of average speed.'

"Faster than Spa, with its flat-out Eau Rouge and 150mph double-left at Pouhon. Faster than Suzuka, which has the amazing 130R. There, in a nutshell, is what makes Silverstone such a challenge for the drivers."

Image source, Getty Images

Lotus on Twitter:, external Clouds are disappearing slowly to let the sun come out!

Image source, Lotus

There was a storm over Silverstone last night but a dry third practice is forecast.

Image source, AP

Heather Watson was brilliant at Wimbledon yesterday, let's clear that up here and now. But, I fear, we have to place the performance in the 'defeated plucky Brit' corner. Which let's face it, is something we all get pretty sick of.

Well, the good news is that in F1 over the past 65 years Britons have rarely been burdened with the label 'plucky', because our record in this sport is second-to-none.

This small island has produced a record 10 world champions, seven more than the next most successful countries Brazil and Finland, and has an exemplary record when it comes to home grand prix winners.

In the 65 British Grands Prix to date, 22 of them have been won by 12 British drivers: Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks, Peter Collins, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, John Watson, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, David Coulthard and Lewis Hamilton.

Gentlemen, we salute you.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, PA

"Friday was one of those days when Lewis Hamilton contradicts himself in the space of a sentence, which is never a good sign. It had been a 'good day', he said as he faced the television cameras after practice, but he had 'some work to do'. It had 'not been the easiest of days but it's generally been OK'.

"It hadn't looked 'OK' during second practice. Although fastest on the 'hard' tyre early in the session, Hamilton was nearly half a second off team-mate Nico Rosberg during the qualifying simulation runs, and at least as much on the fuelled-up long runs, which Hamilton aborted after saying: 'The car is all over the place; I can't go any faster than I am right now.' Will he and his engineers have sorted it out overnight? We are about to find out."

Image source, Reuters

Welcome along to our live text commentary of final practice and qualifying for the British Grand Prix, the ninth round of the 2015 F1 season.

With the halfway point of the season upon us, battle is joined in the title race, with the momentum slowly turning the way of Nico Rosberg - or so it would seem.

Three wins from the last four races and quickest in both practice sessions certainly smacks of a man hitting his straps.

Conversely, team-mate Lewis Hamilton is in not such a good place. He made mistakes in practice yesterday and was well off his team-mate's pace - and indeed that of the Ferraris - and must dredge up a response today.

FP3 starts in 30 minutes, with qualifying at 13:00 BST. Get comfy.

Image source, PA

For all the hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth, F1 looks in fairly rude health as it struts about a leafy corner of Northamptonshire this weekend.

While strategy groups stroke their chins and the critics trip over themselves to stick the knife into F1, the fact is that an eye-watering 85,000 paying fans turned up at Silverstone yesterday to watch practice sessions.

Add to that the 105,000 fans due at the track for qualifying today and a sell-out 140,000 for the race on Sunday, and I'm tempted to ask what all the fuss is all about.

Yes, F1 could do better, but crisis? I can think of a dozen other sports that would kill for a crisis like this.