Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, AFP/GETTY

"Williams were pleasantly surprised to beat both Ferraris in qualifying - and quite comfortably, too. A major aerodynamic upgrade that was introduced for Austria was always expected to pay better dividends around the demanding swerves of Silverstone and so it proved, Felipe Massa nearly 0.3secs quicker than the best of the Ferraris, Kimi Raikkonen.

"'I said pre-weekend that this is a circuit that would suit our car with all the high-speed sections," said head of performance Rob Smedley. 'So we knew if we did all the numbers and all the modelling, it looked like we would have a reasonable chance against Ferrari. I'm pleasantly surprised about the size of the gap.'

"Massa's strong season continued - the Brazilian was 0.064secs quicker than team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who he has now out-qualified six times in nine races this season. Which won't be doing much for the Finn's market value."

Andy Wilcox: Young Jenson celebrating his 3rd birthday today getting ready to watch the GP.

Solid F1 name, there. Nice work.

Image source, @AndyMWilcox

Red Bull are having a tough time at the moment but I have to say I don't have too much sympathy for team boss Christian Horner for the following reasons:

1) He is married to a Spice Girl.

2) See 1.

Here endeth the list.

Image source, AFP/GETTY

Allan McNish
BBC Radio 5 live analyst

Image source, ALlan McNish

"Fifty minutes to go."

Well, 44, but you get the idea.

Image source, Getty Images

If Lewis Hamilton wins today we will have a British driver winning the British Grand Prix on the anniversary of the first ever F1 race victory for a British driver.

Mike Hawthorn won the French GP at Reims for Ferrari on 5 July 1953 to claim the first of 241 wins and counting for British drivers.

By way of an aside, Jackie Stewart claimed the 100th win by a British driver at the 1973 Dutch GP, Damon Hill the 150th at Spain 1994 while the 200th was delivered by Jenson Button at the 2009 Australian GP.

Tim Nicholls: How I feel as a Rosberg fan at Silverstone.

Image source, Tim Nicholls

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, AFP/GETTY

"A few races ago, Fernando Alonso caused a bit of a stir with a comment that 'nothing has changed at Ferrari' since last year. It came not long after Sebastian Vettel's victory in Malaysia and was cynically derided at the time as Alonso trying to put a positive spin on his move to struggling McLaren. The more time goes by, though, the more it looks as if the Spaniard was bang on the money.

"This was Ferrari's least competitive performance of the season, with neither car on the second row and 1.2 seconds off pole. Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen both dodged questions about the sliding back from Mercedes, but that is certainly the impression. And the numbers back it up - in percentage terms, this weekend is the furthest Ferrari have been from pole since the first race of the season."

Image source, Getty Images

Here's a nice tale you might have missed yesterday.

Three-time world champion Niki Lauda has revealed he gave his "ugly" F1 winner's trophies to his local petrol station in exchange for a lifetime of free car washes.

However, he revealed that he "now has to pay" for car washes after his children took back the trophies, polished them up and sold them on eBay.

His comments came after Lewis Hamilton has complained about the low quality of Formula 1 trophies., external

Jo Derviller: Hamilton getting pole! All the excitement was too much!

Image source, @jo215jo

Image source, Getty Images

Just a little stat to sum up McLaren's lamentable season.

Ahead of the ninth round of the season, drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have completed only 59% of the total laps this year.

For comparison, Manor have completed 72% - and they didn't even compete in Australia.

Daniel Gibbs: Sweeper, you are faster than Fernando!

Image source, Daniel Gibbs

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, PA

"Lewis Hamilton's pole position at the British Grand Prix was the 46th of his career, moving him one ahead of Sebastian Vettel into third place in the all-time list. It is testament to the pure pace of a man his former team-mate Jenson Button has described correctly as 'one of the fastest drivers ever to race in Formula 1'.

"Just as impressive is that it was Hamilton's eighth pole in nine races this season, and he seems to be able to pull it out of the bag even when he is not having a great weekend. The championship standings remain close, largely because of the big swing that was created by the Mercedes strategy mix-up at the end of the race in Monaco.

"But if Hamilton gets off the line well - avoiding the technical problems that afflicted him in Austria, and which Mercedes tech boss Paddy Lowe said Hamilton had done an 'amazing job' to get around as well as he did, it is hard to see Rosberg giving him too much trouble in the race."

Image source, Getty Images

Despite this country's reputation, rain is actually pretty rare at the British Grand Prix.

Indeed there have only been 10 rain-affected races in 65 British GPs today, in 1953, 1954 , 1961, 1966, 1975, 1988, 1998, 2002, 2008 and 2011.

Ian Fergusson (BBC Weather) on twitter:, external A dry race most likely outcome *but* an advancing risk of light-moderate showers from W later into race (25% prob)

General admission ticket for the 1987 British Grand Prix: £18

Luxurious sun lounger: £8

Facing the wrong way while Andrea De Cesaris' Brabham explodes: PRICELESS

Mansell has just pulled an awesome move on Nelson Piquet into Stowe.

I say, what a pass, they'll be replaying that one (ad nauseum) for decades...

I was about to say this chap in red clearly didn't get the memo, but on closer inspection it seems he has Fernando Alonso written on his shirt.

Nowt like having a boot in both camps...

Image source, Lynseyhad

Image source, PA

I'm pretty sure Carol Vorderman is still on Countdown.

She must be. I'd have heard if that had changed.

Anyway, she's at Silverstone today so I reckon a picture of her is a good way to illustrate the number situation in the title race.

Very simply it is thus: Lewis Hamilton has chalked up 169 points from eight races so far this season, 10 more than Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg. Then there's a 39-point gap back to Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.

In the constructors' race... well, it's not really a race: Mercedes 328, Ferrari 192, Williams 129.

It could only be F1 Rewind.

Today, classic British Grands Prix from 1987, 1995 and 2008.

It's on BBC Two RIGHT NOW, or you can navigate to it at the top of this page.