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Lando Norris accused Max Verstappen of “ruining everything” after he was denied a shock pole position at the British Grand Prix by Formula One’s dominant Dutchman. For a dozen seconds, Norris sat at qualifying’s summit in front of a sell-out Silverstone crowd only to watch Verstappen – the second-but-last man over the line – knock him off his perch. Verstappen snatched top spot from Norris by 0.241 seconds, with Oscar Piastri third on an excellent day for McLaren. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished fourth and fifth for Ferrari, with Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton only sixth and seventh on another sub-par afternoon for the grid’s once dominant team. Norris, 23, has endured a poor season in his under-performing McLaren machine, but the British team’s first major upgrade of the season worked wonders on home turf. Norris threatened throughout qualifying – sitting at the top of the timings at various stages in Q1, Q2 and Q3 – before a knockout blow from Verstappen stopped him landing only his second career pole. “I was so close,” said Norris. He added with a smile: “Max ruins everything for everyone. “I was watching the TV screens and I was surprised how long I stayed up there for. I did not make a mistake. It was all about when Max crossed the line and if he made a mistake, not if we could beat him.” McLaren CEO Zak Brown celebrated wildly, hugging and high-fiving anyone he could find dressed in the team’s papaya colours. Norris added: “I could hear Zak on the radio during the in-lap, which was the best thing ever. To be second and third was amazing for the whole team.” Norris will have his work cut out to claim what would be a maiden win in his 92nd start, with Verstappen in a class of one this year. The 25-year-old Dutchman will be bidding to take his eighth win from the 10 rounds so far on his unrelenting march to a third straight world championship. “I have some reason to believe we can do OK but not enough to beat this guy,” added Norris, pointing towards the Red Bull man. “It is clear we have made some progress and we have made a decent step forward. It is payback for the work that has been done by the team. “Max and I are very good friends. We grew up at a similar time, and we share the same mentality because we love it. “But as soon as we put the helmet on, all the respect we have off the track, we forget that. It makes no difference about us being friends.” No driver has won the British Grand Prix on more occasions than Hamilton, with the 38-year-old winning seven of the last 10 races staged here. But the Mercedes driver will be deeply frustrated to start only seventh, half-a-second off the pace, in front of his home fans. Sergio Perez’s dismal run of form continued after he was eliminated from the opening phase of qualifying. The Mexican was first out of the pits when the action resumed following a red flag to clear Kevin Magnussen’s Haas. Perez momentarily headed to the top of the order, but the evolution of a drying track saw him tumble all the way down to 16th when Q1 came to an end. It marked the fifth consecutive grand prix in which Perez has failed to make it into Q3 in a machine Hamilton described as the fastest the sport has ever seen. Despite the threat of action from Just Stop Oil protesters, qualifying passed off without incident. However, F1 bosses, Silverstone and Northamptonshire Police remain on high alert that a protest could yet disrupt Sunday’s 52-lap race where 150,000 spectators are expected to attend. Security has been beefed up, with facial recognition cameras posted around the 3.66 mile track in a move to foil a potential plot. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen pips Lando Norris to pole position at British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton 15th in practice for British GP as Max Verstappen dominates again Lewis Hamilton promises to keep his cool on team radio after Austrian flashpoint

Lewis Hamilton said his “disappointing” result in qualifying for the British Grand Prix must serve as a “wake-up call” for Mercedes. Hamilton will start his home race in front of a 150,000 sell-out crowd at Silverstone only in seventh place, with team-mate George Russell one spot better off on the grid. As Max Verstappen, perhaps predictably, raced to his fifth consecutive pole position, McLaren stung a surprise with Lando Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri second and third respectively in their upgraded machines. Informed of his position over the radio, Hamilton said: “We are so slow.” McLaren’s resurgence means Hamilton is now even further away from the front – qualifying half-a-second off Verstappen – despite Mercedes bringing a new front wing to Silverstone. “It is not a blow, but it is just a wake-up call for us,” said Hamilton. “Others are overtaking us and we need to do more. “I will be optimistic and do my best to get on the podium, but realistically I am not sure we can. We have two Ferraris and two McLarens ahead of us so it is going to be a tough race. “It is always a great feeling to be at the British Grand Prix, but today it was disappointing that we could not deliver for the fans. Hopefully we can tomorrow.” Hamilton is the most successful driver at the British Grand Prix – winning seven of the last 10 races staged here. But 580 days have now passed since Hamilton last took to the top step of the podium – a run of 32 races which extends back to the final round of the 2021 season. Mercedes’ major upgrade arrived at Monaco in May, and Hamilton delivered successive podiums at the ensuing rounds in Spain and Canada to provide him with hope he might soon be back in winning contention. But he finished only eighth in Austria a week ago, and he is facing a tall order to salvage a respectable result on Sunday. McLaren have been well off the pace so far this year, but their new package – which Hamilton likened to Verstappen’s dominant Red Bull machine – has propelled them ahead of the Silver Arrows. “I am not surprised by McLaren because if you look at the car it makes sense,” said Hamilton. “If you put it alongside a Red Bull, it looks very similar down the sides and it is working. They had the edge on us at the last race so I anticipate tomorrow will be the same. “McLaren have been on a bad run for so long so I am happy for them. We have another team up in the mix which is what we want to see in the sport.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen pips Lando Norris to pole position at British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton 15th in practice for British GP as Max Verstappen dominates again Lewis Hamilton promises to keep his cool on team radio after Austrian flashpoint

Aspiring home owners are finding the housing market to be pretty grim lately. With record-high mortgage rates, expensive insurance, and a limited selection of pricey homes, many are staying put — whether they want to or not.

The head of the Switzerland's dairy association says the country will import more cheese than it exports this year for the first time

Max Verstappen dented Lando Norris’ dream of a shock pole position at the British Grand Prix by taking top spot in the closing seconds of a dramatic qualifying session. Norris surged to the summit of the order to the delight of the Silverstone crowd, only to see Verstappen snatch pole by 0.241 seconds as the last driver over the line. Norris starts alongside Verstappen, who took his fifth consecutive pole, with Oscar Piastri third on an excellent day for McLaren at the British team’s home race. Lewis Hamilton could manage only seventh, one place behind George Russell in the other Mercedes. “It was a crazy qualifying session and quite hectic,” said Verstappen. “I was surprised to see those two (Norris and Piastri) there but it was great for McLaren. “I am looking forward to tomorrow.” Norris said: “I was close. Pretty insane. My last lap was a good lap. I could hear Zak (Brown, the McLaren CEO) on the radio during the in lap which was the best thing ever. “To be second and third was amazing for the whole team. But Max ruins everything for everyone. I am happy for the whole crowd here. I look forward to tomorrow.” Verstappen, a winner at seven of the opening nine rounds of a one-sided campaign, has already established a commanding 81-point lead in his pursuit of a hat-trick of world championships The Dutch driver cruised to the chequered flag a week ago at Red Bull’s home race in Austria and he will head into Sunday’s race favourite to extend his lead, particularly after Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez failed to make it out of Q1. He lines up a lowly 16th. No driver has won the British Grand Prix on more occasions than Hamilton, with the 38-year-old winning seven of the last 10 races staged here. But the Mercedes man will be disappointed to start only seventh, half-a-second off the pace, in front of his home fans. Perez’s dismal run of form continued after he was eliminated from the opening phase of qualifying. The Mexican was first out of the pits when the action resumed following a red flag to clear Kevin Magnussen’s Haas. Perez momentarily headed to the top of the order, but the evolution of the track saw him tumble all the way down to 16th when Q1 came to an end. It marked the fifth consecutive race in which Perez has failed to make it into Q3 in a machine Hamilton described as the fastest Formula One has ever seen. Perez’s early exit capped a frantic few minutes which saw Verstappen and Hamilton dice for position on a piece of asphalt now named after Britain’s seven-time world champion. Verstappen fought his way ahead of Hamilton, with the latter almost colliding with the Alpine of Pierre Gasly in the mad scramble to post a lap before the chequered flag fell. Prior to that, Verstappen required a new front wing after he grazed the wall along the pits just moments after he left his garage. And even earlier Hamilton survived a spin through the gravel when he lost his control of his Mercedes on the entry to Stowe. Despite the threat of action from Just Stop Oil protesters, qualifying passed off without incident. However, F1 bosses, Silverstone and Northamptonshire Police remain on high alert that a protest could yet disrupt Sunday’s 52-lap race where 150,000 spectators are expected to attend. Security has been beefed up, with facial recognition cameras posted around the 3.66 mile track in a move to foil a potential plot. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lewis Hamilton 15th in practice for British GP as Max Verstappen dominates again Lewis Hamilton promises to keep his cool on team radio after Austrian flashpoint Lewis Hamilton defends casting ‘iconic’ Brad Pitt as F1 driver in new film

David and Victoria Beckham have celebrated their daughter Harper’s 12th birthday a couple of days earlier with a party at the Prada Caffè in Harrods. The couple’s only daughter will turn a year older on Monday 10 July. She wore a silk lilac slip dress with lace trim from Victoria’s label, with sporty trainers and a sparkly £950 Prada Re-Edition handbag. The proud designer shared snaps from the party on her Instagram account, including a snap of her and Harper with their arms around one another, as well as the birthday girl with her famous footballer father and brothers Romeo and Cruz. Victoria wrote in the caption: “Harper Seven is 12!! (almost) Prada party for Harper Seven CHIC!” Harper was also pictured beaming with a large personalised cake in front of her, with 12 tall white candles waiting to be blown out. Fans praised Harper for her style and wished her a happy birthday. “You can just tell that she’s a genuine good kid! Happy birthday Harper!” one person wrote. Another said: “She’s so tall now! What a lovely young lady she’s become.” The luxurious Prada Caffè features pistachio-coloured walls and interiors, with black-and-white checkerboard floors and marble tables. The themed café opened in March and promises to bring a taste of Milan to Harrods. It comes after Victoria and David marked their 24th wedding anniversary last week with three of their four children. Their eldest son Brooklyn lives in the US with his wife, Nicola Peltz. The couple married on 4 July 1999 in a ceremony at Ireland’s Luttrellstown Castle. They paid tribute to one another on social media by posting throwback photographs of each other and sharing sweet messages. Victoria previously described Harper as her “number one muse” and has created designs especially for her. In January, she shared a mirror selfie of her and Harper, with the then-11-year-old in a strapless ombre gown and sneakers. She wrote: “Mummy loved creating this dress for you.” However, Harper doesn’t always share her former pop star mother’s sartorial tastes. Last year, Victoria revealed just what her daughter thought of the Spice Girls’ iconic miniskirts. Speaking to Vogue Australia, the Spice Girl formerly known as Posh Spice said her daughter is “not one of these kids who are going out with a full face of make-up and a crop top”. “She actually said to me recently, ‘Mummy, I’ve seen some pictures of you when you were in the Spice Girls and your skirts were just unacceptable. They were just too short,” Victoria recalled. “And she was actually quite disgusted at how short my skirts were. “I said, ‘Are you never going to wear skirts like that?’ She said, ‘Absolutely not’. We’ll see.” In the same interview Victoria revealed that she was concerned that Harper will be subjected to body shaming when she is old enough to use social media. She said that her daughter was not allowed on social media yet, but she was concerned about “how cruel people can be”. “She’s at that age where her body is going to start changing, but it’s about making sure that we communicate a lot as a family and she surrounds herself with nice friends,” Victoria said. “But it is quite terrifying, I can’t lie.” Read More Conflict, toxic group chats and organised fun: How we came to despise the hen do Woman exits plane after tirade about passenger who is ‘not real’: ‘Final Destination vibes’ Who is in the Royal Box on the sixth day of Wimbledon? David Beckham pays tribute to Victoria on 24th wedding anniversary Every Barbie-inspired outfit Margot Robbie has worn so far How to make your summer tan last longer

Formula 1 heads back to one of its most famous sites as Silverstone hosts the 2023 British Grand Prix this weekend. Last time out in Austria, Max Verstappen continued his dominant form with a fifth straight win this season, extending his lead in the world championship to 81 points, with team-mate Sergio Perez in second. EXCLUSIVE: 20 years since Irish ‘lunatic’ invaded the track at Silverstone Lewis Hamilton endured a mixed weekend in Spielberg, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished on the podium. Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris will be eyeing strong results this weekend at their home race, with recent upgrades for both Mercedes and McLaren renewing optimism in both camps. On Friday at a bright and sunny Silverstone, Max Verstappen was quickest in first and second practice. Carlos Sainz won last year’s action-packed race for Ferrari, his first and only win in F1. Follow British Grand Prix live updates with The Independent this weekend - qualifying started at 3pm (BST). Read More Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes struggle as British Grand Prix gets Hollywood sprinkling Why is Brad Pitt filming at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix? Jackie Stewart suffers stroke and falls ‘unconscious’ in frightening health scare

Charles Leclerc finished fastest in a rain-hit final practice session for the British Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver set the pace in the dry running before heavy rain arrived at Silverstone. Williams’ Alex Albon took second place, one spot ahead of Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, with Pierre Gasly fourth for Alpine and Lewis Hamilton fifth. World champion Max Verstappen, quickest in both sessions at the Northamptonshire venue on Friday, was eighth. Although the concluding one-hour running before qualifying started in the dry, it was not long before the forecast rain arrived. In the initial slick conditions, Leclerc was the fastest out of the traps, seeing off Albon by a tenth. Hamilton finished only 15th on Friday and said there was something wrong with his Mercedes. But the seven-time world champion moved closer to the front on Saturday morning, finishing half-a-second off the pace. Heavy showers could continue throughout the day with qualifying due to get under way at 3pm. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live