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.

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.

Paddington saw off the tenacious challenge of Emily Upjohn in a thrilling renewal of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old began the season in handicap company, but he had already successfully stepped up to win both the Irish Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes subsequently.

Upped in trip to 10 furlongs for the first time, Ryan Moore rode him as if there were no doubts about his stamina and so it proved.

His solid temperament allowed Moore to put him where he wanted in the race and having broken smartly, he found himself in front on leaving the stalls.

The field then raced in single file, with West Wind Blows and Jamie Spencer leading Paddington, Emily Upjohn and Dubai Honour.

Spencer tried to steal a march turning into the straight and took two lengths out of the others.

However, Moore breezed up on Paddington and went into the lead, although Emily Upjohn would not leave him alone.

With half a furlong to run it briefly appeared that the greater stamina of Emily Upjohn may prevail, but she could not quite get on terms with her younger rival, who was getting 7lb.

Paddington’s half-length verdict was O’Brien’s seventh triumph in the race, making him the most successful trainer in the contest’s history.

Wootton’Sun only got into the bet365 Old Newton Cup at Haydock as a reserve, but he took full advantage to provide Richard Fahey with his first win in the race.

The four-year-old was declared as the second reserve but, thankfully for his connections, his place in the race was confirmed by Friday afternoon and he gamely came out on top to claim the almost £80,000 first prize.

Ridden by 52-year-old Joe Fanning, who is enjoying an excellent season, the 15-2 chance first had to see off Cumulonimbus and then hang tough to repel the late run of Scampi.

Fanning and Fahey have not teamed up together that often in their illustrious careers, but they were the perfect combination on this occasion.

Fahey said: “To be very honest, when we were second reserve, Steve (Bradley, owner) rang me and wanted to book a jockey and I said ‘Steve, we’ve no chance of getting in’!

“It couldn’t have worked out better in the end as Joe was available, he had a light weight and to win feels like a ‘Brucey bonus’.

“It was a race we had in mind at the beginning of the season and I felt he should have won before now and he’d definitely have got in.

“He’s been running very well and if he had won before today he’d have gone up three or four pounds. For him to sneak in and win is fantastic.

“That was his Derby so it’s great it worked out.”

Poptronic finally enjoyed her moment in the spotlight when gamely holding off Sea Silk Road to win the bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Since winning the Hoppings Stakes at Newcastle last season, Karl Burke’s filly had come up just short in several big races.

In two runs previous runs this season, she had done herself no favours by racing keenly, but on this occasion she was far more tractable in the hands of Sam James.

Happy to take a lead off Peripatetic until the two-furlong marker, Poptronic (12-1) still looked a bit of a sitting duck as the three big guns, Mimikyu, Time Lock and finally Sea Silk Road all laid down a challenge.

After seeing off the first two it looked like she may have to give best to William Haggas’ Sea Silk Road, who had beaten Poptronic last time out in the Lester Piggott Stakes, but Burke’s four-year-old was not to be denied.

In the last 50 yards, the run of the 7-4 favourite just flattened out and Poptronic won by a neck.

Kelly Burke, daughter of the winning trainer who rides Poptronic every day at home, said: “I was delighted, she’s been banging on the door the whole time and she’s such a genuine, tough filly.

“I think the slight change of tactics, just going that little bit more forward, has helped. She can be quite keen and because of that we’ve tried to drop her in and not let her over-race, but she’s got more settled as the year has gone on.

“I think the key with her is not to pull her around and kick early because she hasn’t got a turn of foot, she just keeps grinding it out and if you ride her for a turn of foot, they always beat her.

“She ran well behind the favourite (Sea Silk Road) here last time and she actually beat her the time before. I think it’s just how the race pans out sometimes.

“I’m delighted she’s won a Group Two now.”

When asked whether a step up to Group One level in the Yorkshire Oaks could be next on Poptronic’s agenda, Burke added: “Definitely, there’s no reason not to go is there?

“She’s ran really well at York a few times, so that could be exciting.”

James said: “I spoke to Karl before the race and she used to be a bit keen in her races, Kelly rides her every day and she’s done a great job with her.

“She was keen last year and today she was grand. They went a nice gallop so I was able to just follow the lead horse, I would have gone on had they have gone steadily but it worked perfectly. I was able to just start stretching them.

“I was a bit surprised at the price she was as the second horse had only beaten us by a couple of lengths the last day, when we were still trying to switch her off all the time. Today I was able to go forward on her and ride a race whenever I wanted really.

“It’s a big win for me. Karl has been very good to me the last couple of seasons and this filly has been very good to me. I won a Group Three at Newcastle on her and now I’ve won a Group Two and she deserves it as well.”

Mark Cavendish’s bid to take a record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win ended after he was forced to abandon the race following a crash on Saturday.

Less than 24 hours after he came within a few metres of an historic victory in Bordeaux, Cavendish’s outstanding Tour career ended in the back of an ambulance, the anguish on his face clear to see after an innocuous touch of wheels brought an early end to his final appearance in the race he loves.

Cavendish went down hard and held his shoulder after a crash in the peloton around 60km from the finish of stage eight from Libourne to Limoges.

It means Cavendish, who announced in May that he will retire at the end of the season, will finish his career level with Eddy Merckx on 34 Tour stage wins.

Cavendish was agonisingly close to breaking the record on Friday, getting the jump on Jasper Philipsen on the sprint to the line in Bordeaux, only for his gears to jump when he was trying to apply full power.

Cavendish won his first Tour stages back in 2008, taking four in total, and chalked up 20 in his first four participations.

He enjoyed four stage wins in 2021, equalling Merckx’s record with his victory on stage 13 in Carcassonne.

David de Gea has announced he is leaving Manchester United as a free agent after 12 seasons at Old Trafford.

The 32-year-old’s contract with United expired at the end of June, with no new deal agreed despite talks that took place throughout the season.

In a message on social media, De Gea thanked United fans for their support, but said: “Now, it’s the right time to undertake a new challenge, to push myself again in new surroundings.”

When De Gea’s contract expired last Friday, United said they remained in talks with the Spain goalkeeper.

That followed reports that De Gea had signed a contract extension only for the club to withdraw that offer and come back with reduced terms.

De Gea wrote: “I would like to express my unwavering gratitude and appreciation for the love from the last 12 years. We’ve achieved a lot since my dear Sir Alex Ferguson brought me to this club.

“I took incredible pride every time I pulled on this shirt, to lead the team, to represent this institution, the biggest club in the world was an honour only bestows upon a few lucky footballers.

“It’s been an unforgettable and successful period since I came here. I didn’t think from leaving Madrid as a young boy we would achieve what we did together.

“Manchester will always be in my heart, Manchester has shaped me and will never leave me. We’ve seen it all.”

United boss Erik ten Hag has reportedly been pushing to sign a new goalkeeper in this transfer window,
with a deal for Inter Milan’s Andre Onana said to be close.

The Dutchman paid tribute to the departing De Gea, who won the Premier League’s golden glove last season.

Ten Hag said: “It takes great quality and character to reach the level of even playing one game for Manchester United.

“To do it 545 times over 12 years is a special achievement, particularly in the goalkeeping position where every game puts you in the spotlight.

“To have won Player of the Year awards from both the fans and his team-mates, each on four occasions, shows the level of his performance and he will always be remembered as one of the very best goalkeepers in the history of the club.

“I am personally grateful for the 25 clean sheets he helped provide last season and his overall contribution on the pitch during my first year at the club.

“All the players and staff send him our very best wishes for the next phase of his outstanding career.”

England’s hunt for Australian wickets was halted by the weather at Headingley, with the threat of a washout on day three of the third Ashes Test.

Morning showers on Saturday meant no play was possible before lunch, which was brought forward to 12.30pm, and the afternoon session was set to go the same way with the covers still out at 2.30pm.

The match remains poised on a knife edge, with the tourists 142 runs ahead after being reduced to 116 for four in their second innings.

Travis Head and day-one centurion Mitch Marsh were the not out batters for Australia, who are already 2-0 up in the series after victories at Edgbaston and Lord’s and can claim the urn with a win on Yorkshire territory.

The break in play could help ease some of England’s ailments, with Ollie Robinson yet to bowl since suffering back spasms on the first day and captain Ben Stokes nursing a selection of injuries and niggles.

England owe their position in the game to Stokes’ defiant 80, with Moeen Ali hailing the skipper’s magnetic qualities and their effect on the side.

“Ben’s a brilliant player. He’s the one player in the world who everyone will be thinking about in that situation, especially against Australia because he has done it a couple of times now,” said the spinner, who took the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith on Friday evening.

“Whether it’s a white ball or a red ball, as long as he’s there you’ve always got a great chance of winning. It’s the situations more than anything, he loves those situations, he thrives off them.

“His body has obviously been through a lot but there’s one thing with Ben, he can’t do anything without it being 100 per cent. Hopefully he’ll get through this series well, scoring a lot more runs.

“It’s the situations more than anything, he loves those situations, he thrives off them. But we can’t rely on him all the time. We do have dangerous players who we just need to come to the party as well as Ben. Ben’s playing brilliantly but there are runs out there for other players.”

Cricket Australia has been forced into a bizarre defence of Alex Carey after rumours that the wicketkeeper had breached ‘the spirit of cutting’ by failing to pay for a haircut.

Carey became public enemy number one among England fans at Lord’s last week when he controversially stumped Jonny Bairstow during the fifth-day run chase.

The dismissal was perfectly legal under the laws of the game, but England believe it was contrary to the unwritten ‘spirit of the game’ and Carey’s actions have divided opinion in the cricket world.

In a curious development during this week’s third Test at Headingley, former England captain Sir Alastair Cook told listeners on BBC’s Test Match Special that Carey had visited a barber in Leeds and been unable to to pay the bill after being told it was cash only.

Cook went on to suggest that a promise to settle the debt had not been fulfilled. CA has now moved to exonerate Carey, confirming to reporters that the 31-year-old has not had his hair cut since the World Test Championship final last month.

It is understood that some squad members did have a trim and when one was unable to pay in cash, he arranged to pay via international bank transfer. Sources close to the team have said a receipt is available and will be brought to the hairdresser to clear up any confusion.

An account attributed to Australia batter Steve Smith on social media network Threads backed up Carey’s innocence, adding “get your facts right”.

Equality produced a career-best performance to run out an easy winner of the Coral Charge at Sandown.

The Charlie Hills-trained five-year-old had won a handicap at Windsor in clear-cut fashion on his last outing but this was a first success at Group Three level.

Handy throughout under William Buick, he was given a lead into the race by Diligent Harry.

Existent had ploughed a lone furrow on the near side rail with Jim Crowley exploring the possibility of better ground following some heavy rain, and with two furlongs to run he was still in contention.

That was just at the point Buick asked his mount to put the race to bed, though, and he sprinted clear.

Ed Walker’s filly Makarova added some more valuable black type, beaten a length and a half in second, while Tiber Flow claimed third. The favourite Marshman faced an uphill battle following a slow start.

Hills said: “He is a horse in form, obviously. I was delighted with his win at Windsor last time. It has always been the plan to come here since then.

“He had a nice draw and pinged the gates. Normally he can be a little slow from the gates, it probably wasn’t the ideal plan to be in front, but he didn’t seem to get taken on too much and that did suit him, I would have thought.

“He travelled very well and he’s a good sprinter. He’s a horse that I’ve always really liked – it has just take a while to get to here.

“I hope he can build on it. He has won by taking a lead before, so I think he can be ridden any way, really.

“I will certainly look at the King George at Goodwood next time, but that little bit of rain, probably two millimetres, probably helped as well.

“I would be afraid of very fast ground, unlike his father, Equiano, who loved it like a road. It’s strange, but William has always said he likes to get his toe in.”

He added: “The King George has always been a lucky race for me in the past, so I think that’s where we go with this fella.

“I’ve always thought he was a horse who would be a Group performer, but it has taken a while to get to where we are. Just looking at some of the family, it is just a slow-maturing family.”

Nashwa has been supplemented for Friday’s Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.

The four-year-old was a dual Group One winner for John and Thady Gosden last term but has struggled to find her best form in two outings so far this year.

After finishing fourth in the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud, she was dropped back to Group Three level for the Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes at Newcastle last week, but she was beaten into second as an odds-on favourite.

Owner Imad Al Sagar has now stumped up £20,000 to add her to the race, where she will be dropping back to a mile from 10 furlongs.

Via Sistina could bid for a swift Group One double after George Boughey’s charge secured her first top-level success in last week’s Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

She could turn out again just 13 days later in search of a third win this term, having also landed the Dahlia Stakes on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course back in May.

Remarquee, now owned by Wathnan Racing, is another key player for Ralph Beckett, having bounced back from 1000 Guineas defeat with a fine second to Tahiyra in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, while the fourth-placed Meditate is one of two possibles for Aidan O’Brien along with Never Ending Story.

Sandringham Stakes winner Coppice is a second contender for the Gosden team, with Beckett also having a second contender in last year’s race winner Prosperous Voyage.

The 10 confirmations are completed by Ameynah, Astral Beau and Random Harvest, with Inspiral an absentee as expected.

Charlie Appleby’s impressive recent Listed winner Star Of Mystery heads 11 contenders for the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes, where Albany Stakes third Soprano could be among her rivals.

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.

England’s hunt for Australian wickets was halted by the weather at Headingley, with the third morning of the third Ashes Test washed out.

Morning showers on Saturday meant no play was possible before lunch, which was brought forward to 12.30pm as ground staff began the cleaning up operation.

The match is poised on a knife edge, with the tourists 142 runs ahead after being reduced to 116 for four in their second innings.

Travis Head and day-one centurion Mitch Marsh were the not out batters for Australia, who are already 2-0 up in the series after victories at Edgbaston and Lord’s and can claim the urn with a win on Yorkshire territory.

The break in play could help ease some of England’s ailments, with Ollie Robinson yet to bowl since suffering back spasms on the first day and captain Ben Stokes nursing a selection of injuries and niggles.

England owe their position in the game to Stokes’ defiant 80, with Moeen Ali hailing the skipper’s magnetic qualities and their effect on the side.

“Ben’s a brilliant player. He’s the one player in the world who everyone will be thinking about in that situation, especially against Australia because he has done it a couple of times now,” said the spinner, who took the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith on Friday evening.

“Whether it’s a white ball or a red ball, as long as he’s there you’ve always got a great chance of winning. It’s the situations more than anything, he loves those situations, he thrives off them.

“His body has obviously been through a lot but there’s one thing with Ben, he can’t do anything without it being 100 per cent. Hopefully he’ll get through this series well, scoring a lot more runs.

“It’s the situations more than anything, he loves those situations, he thrives off them. But we can’t rely on him all the time. We do have dangerous players who we just need to come to the party as well as Ben. Ben’s playing brilliantly but there are runs out there for other players.”

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has criticised the club’s plan to increase match day ticket prices for the 2023-24 season.

Spurs announced in April that season-ticket prices would be frozen for the forthcoming campaign, the second year in a row they had kept prices the same with the cost-of-living crisis cited as a reason behind the decision.

However, the supporters’ trust has revealed they were told on Friday about an increase in match day tickets that is due to be brought in for the upcoming season while there is now set to be six Category A fixtures, the most expensive ticket, with Newcastle bumped up from Category B.

In addition to describing the increase as “excessive”, THST expressed their frustration over a lack of dialogue with the club.

“We are aware of the club’s plans to increase match day ticket prices for the 2023/24 season. Our ticketing team was informed of the plans to increase match day pricing on Friday morning,” a statement from the supporters’ trust read.

“The club is aware THST lobbied for a price freeze on all match day pricing and, having been informed this (Friday) morning, we along with the wider fanbase have been told rather than consulted. This must change if dialogue is to happen and supporter input is genuinely desired.

“The club knows this is something THST cannot support and we feel an increase of this magnitude is excessive.

“Our match tickets are already amongst the most expensive in the Premier League and fans should not have to dig further into their pockets when they are already seeing their living standards squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis.

“Whilst we recognise the increased operational costs and lack of European revenue for this coming season, we believe there are other ways the club can generate this lost revenue. This burden should never be pushed on to match-going supporters.”

The PA news agency approached Tottenham for comment and a club spokesperson said: “We are fully aware of the current rising cost of living – and as such are one of only three Premier League clubs to freeze Season Ticket prices for the coming season.

“Our match ticket prices are comparable to other London clubs, with a wide range of price points available for fans to choose from.”

Meanwhile, Spurs captain Hugo Lloris’ future at the club remains uncertain despite being present for the first week of training under new boss Ange Postecoglou.

Lloris has spent 11 seasons at Tottenham but made clear last month his desire to try a new challenge, with only 12 months left on his current contract.

Spurs fly out for their pre-season tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore on Friday and a decision will need to be made over whether captain Lloris is part of the travelling party given interest from Inter Milan.

Tottenham are open to selling Lloris for the right offer and an agreement could even be reached to terminate his terms a year early, the PA news agency understands.

If Lloris was not to travel on Spurs’ pre-season tour, vice-captain Harry Kane may be asked to take on captaincy duties.

Kane will return to training next week after time off following his involvement in England’s qualifiers at the start of June.

Speculation over his future continues to intensify with only a year left on his deal, but PA understands Tottenham have offered the forward a new contract that is an increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms.

While Kane is yet to make a decision on the contract, Spurs’ stance remains the same with their star striker not for sale despite Bayern Munich’s growing interest.