George Russell edged out Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris to pole position for the British GP as the race’s three home drivers waged an intense fight to head Sunday’s Silverstone grid.
For the first-time ever in the history of the British GP, and the first time anywhere in F1 since 1968, the front three positions on the grid will be taken up by a trio of British drivers.
Russell, who won last week’s Austrian GP after profiting from the collision between Norris and Max Verstappen, took his second pole in four races by a 0.171s margin from Hamilton after a final lap of 1:25.819.
On a difficult and disappointing day world championship leaders Red Bull, Verstappen qualified only fourth after his pace was compromised by floor damage sustained when an error sent him through the gravel at Copse corner amid on-off rain during a frantic Q1 session.
Sergio Perez spins and beaches his car in the gravel bringing out the red flag and he is out in Q1!
But qualifying was again far worse for team-mate Sergio Perez whose recent woes deepened after he spun out at the same turn, beached his car in the gravel and qualified on the back row in 19th place.
With the Red Bulls out of the pole picture, Russell, Hamilton and Norris took centre stage in front of the passionate home Silverstone crowd and turned the battle for pole in to an exclusive all-British fight.
Karun Chandhok analyses George Russell and Lewis Hamilton’s fastest laps during qualifying of the British GP.
Oscar Piastri was fifth in the second McLaren with Nico Hulkenberg again impressing in qualifying to take sixth, ahead of both Ferraris as the Scuderia suffered fresh disappointment.
Carlos Sainz was only seventh while Charles Leclerc was knocked out in Q2 and will start from 11th.
More to follow…
British GP Qualifying: Top 10
1) George Russell, Mercedes
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Lando Norris, McLaren
4) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
6) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
7) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
8) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
9) Alex Albon, Williams
10) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule (all F1 sessions on Sky Showcase)
Here’s what you can look forward to during coverage of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
Sunday July 7 8:15am: F3 Feature Race 9:50am: F2 Feature Race 11:50am: Porsche Supercup 1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up 3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX 5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction 6pm: Ted’s Notebook
F1’s summer triple-header concludes with the big one, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase, with Sunday’s race at 3pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
Cameron Norrie won the all-British clash with rising star Jack Draper to reach
the third round at Wimbledon, while Novak Djokovic overcame a terrific fightback from Jacob Fearnley.
Draper had replaced Norrie as the country’s No 1 male player last month.
But former semi-finalist Norrie found his form when it mattered in a 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 7-6 (8-6) victory on Court One.
“It was not easy to come out and play Jack, and we are good friends off the court,” he said.
“I had to put that aside. I was a bit of an underdog but I was relaxed to be honest.
“I’m feeling really good physically and wanted to trust my movement and my legs. The level is there and I used my experience against Jack.
“I was a bit nervy at the end of that tie-break but I got it done. It’s a special day for me.”
This was a stunning – if surprising – reminder of his Wimbledon pedigree in the first meeting of the men’s British Nos 1 and 2 at a Grand Slam since Tim Henman beat Greg Rusedski in the 2002 Australian Open.
No shots were fired in this latest battle of Britain until the first-set tie-break, when a Norrie drop shot left a scrambling Draper lying on his back at the net.
Norrie’s volley to win the set had Draper muttering towards his team, prodding his chest before discarding his racket in disgust as he sat down.
A pumped-up Norrie broke a subdued Draper at the start of the second with the first break point of the match.
Barely 10 minutes later Norrie had won 14 of the next 15 points to lead 4-0 on his way to a two-set lead.
Draper had needed five sets to beat Elias Ymer in round one and was going to have to do the same if he was to reach the third round for the first time.
He finally broke for 4-2 in the third with a stunning backhand winner past his fellow left-hander.
Image: Draper (left) and Norrie shake hands at the net
But, when serving for the set, Draper was broken to love, another cross-court pass followed by the ubiquitous Norrie fist pump.
In the tie-break Draper saved one match point on his own serve, but when he double-faulted Norrie made no mistake with the second.
Djokovic survives Fearnley’s fightback
Image: Jacob Fearnley (right) congratulates Novak Djokovic on his win
Djokovic overcame a terrific fightback from British No 13 Fearnley on Centre Court to win 6-3 6-4 5-7 7-5 and reach the third round of Wimbledon.
World No 277 Fearnley stunned the home crowd when he took the third set 7-5 forcing seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic to work hard for his victory in a contest that lasted three hours.
“I dropped my level,” admitted the Serb. “I think I should have done some things better in the third set to finish it off.
“I think I just did enough to win there in the fourth. I was a bit lucky to really get out of trouble and not go a break down.
“Hopefully I can raise the level in the upcoming rounds.”
While Djokovic can now look forward to a third-round showdown with Australian Alexei Popyrin, Fearnley gave himself a pat on the back.
“I was playing the greatest tennis player of all time on Centre Court, Wimbledon, so it’s very difficult to be too disappointed,” he said.
“I was super grateful to have the opportunity to play on that court against that opponent. Proud is how I’m feeling right now.”
The wild card, who was ranked outside the world’s top 500 just a month ago before shooting up almost 250 spots after winning a second-tier Challenger event in Nottingham, made a memorable Centre Court debut.
Fearnley earned a clap from Djokovic after a neat volley got the third set under way and had the crowd on their feet when he broke the Serb in the sixth game.
Djokovic double-faulted to go 15-40 down in the sixth game, but the second seed went clutch to hold and broke the novice to reach the third round weeks after surgery on a torn meniscus threatened his Wimbledon participation.
Image: Hubert Hurkacz dived to make a volley during a fourth-set tie-break against Frenchman Arthur Fils and hurt his knee
A potential hurdle for Djokovic removed himself when seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz, his projected quarter-final opponent, was injured winning a point.
The 27-year-old from Poland, highly-fancied at this year’s Championships, dived to make a volley during a fourth-set tie-break against Frenchman Arthur Fils and hurt his knee.
Hurkacz, who ended Roger Federer’s Wimbledon career three years ago, tried to play on after having the knee strapped up but managed just two more points before retiring.
Grigor Dimitrov, the Bulgarian 10th seed, had to come from two sets down to beat Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng, a player 14 years his junior, in five.
American 13th seed Taylor Fritz needed four sets to see off the stubborn Arthur Rinderknech and another Frenchman, Gael Monfils, won the battle of the veterans 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) with Stan Wawrinka.
Australian ninth seed Alex de Minaur beat Spain’s Jaume Munar in straight sets, while Ben Shelton, the 14th seed from America, won his second five-setter of the week, 10-7 in a fifth-set tie-break, to edge past South African Lloyd Harris.
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Prague Open (WTA 250) 21-26 July
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Jonny Clayton returned to winning ways with an outstanding 8-5 success against Wesley Plaisier in Wednesday’s Players Championship 14 final in Milton Keynes, as Luke Littler made another early exit.
Clayton stormed to victory on a thrilling day of action at the Marshall Arena, denying an in-form Plaisier to clinch his first PDC ranking title since May 2023.
The Welshman – a runner-up in May’s Dutch Darts Championship – endured a difficult end to 2023, but he continued his revival to become the 14th different winner in as many Players Championship events in 2024.
Clayton – a quarter-finalist on Tuesday – kicked off his campaign with emphatic wins against Darren Beveridge, Andy Baetens and James Hurrell, before defying a 110.71 average from Dom Taylor in a sensational last-16 tie.
The 49-year-old then overcame Martin Schindler in the last eight, before running out a 7-3 winner against Cameron Menzies in the semi-finals, which ended the Scot’s hopes of World Matchplay qualification.
Who will win the Betfred World Matchplay? Watch live from Saturday July 13 on Sky Sports!
Clayton seized the early initiative in Wednesday’s showpiece, reeling off three consecutive legs to establish 4-1 and 5-2 leads, only for Plaisier to respond with a majestic 161 checkout in leg eight.
The former Premier League champion restored his three-leg buffer with a fabulous 11-darter, and he punished rare errors on the outer ring from his Dutch opponent to move to the brink of glory at 7-3.
Plaisier hit back with skin-saving 121 and 122 finishes on the bull as he looked to complete an astonishing turnaround, but Clayton kept his cool, pinning double 16 to triumph with a 106 average.
“Fair play to Wesley. How he hasn’t got a Tour Card I’ll never know, because he can seriously play darts,” said Clayton, who also landed seven 180s in the final. “Confidence is low when you’re not picking up results, but I’ve got my mojo back. I’ve got a smile on my face, and winning always helps.
“I was way off at the start of the year, but something has clicked. I played well yesterday and I played well today, so my consistency is there, and fingers crossed I can keep it going. It’s a great time to get your form back with the World Matchplay coming up, and hopefully I can go one step further this year.”
Plaisier reaffirmed his credentials by reaching back-to-back finals at the Marshall Arena, as he walked away from this week’s ProTour double-header with £20,000 in prize money. He dumped out world No 4 Gerwyn Price in the last 32, and later accounted for Mario Vandenbogaerde, Graham Usher and Ryan Joyce to maintain his superb run of form.
Image: Gerwyn Price will be among the favourites at the Betfred World Matchplay later this month in Blackpool
Joyce crashed in a 111.48 average in his quarter-final thumping of Josh Rock, having also won through a deciding-leg tussle against top seed Dave Chisnall in the last 16.
Scottish star Menzies dumped out England’s World Cup winning duo Michael Smith and Luke Humphries on his way to the semi-finals, while Schindler defeated his World Cup partner Gabriel Clemens to end Clemens’ World Matchplay dreams.
Live World Matchplay Darts
Saturday 13th July 7:30pm
Usher claimed a host of big scalps to reach his maiden ProTour quarter-final, following up deciding-leg wins over Gary Anderson and James Wade with a 6-4 success against World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.
Robert Owen produced the performance of the day in Milton Keynes, registering a staggering 115.85 average in his third round demolition of Ryan Searle, who was beaten 6-1 despite averaging 105, while Luke Littler made another early exit with a 6-3 loss against Hurrell.
Wednesday’s action marked the final event before the cut-off for Betfred World Matchplay qualification, with 2007 champion James Wade securing the final place in the 32-player field.
Menzies threatened to overhaul Wade with his brilliant run to the last four, although he fell just short in his last-gasp Blackpool bid.
Watch the Betfred World Matchplay from July 13-21 at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool live on Sky Sports. Watch the best darts live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW.
Marcel Siem beat Tom McKibbin in a play-off to win the Italian Open on Sunday and secure his sixth victory on the European tour in his fourth event back from hip surgery in February.
Both Siem and McKibbin finished at 10-under overall and then Siem birdied the opening play-off hole to seal it.
Siem was three strokes ahead of clubhouse leader McKibbin eight holes into his final round, only for four bogeys to put him one stroke back going to the 18th.
But Siem holed a 22-foot putt to finish with an even-par 71 and force the playoff.
“Holing that putt on 18 was one (of) the coolest moments in golf for me and doing it again in a playoff was fantastic,” Siem said.
McKibbin posted a bogey-free 65 in his final round at Adriatic Golf Club Cervia.
McKibbin had the consolation prize of earning a spot in the British Open after narrowly missing out on a second DP World Tour title, along with American Sean Crocker, who finished one stroke behind the leaders in a tie for third with Jannik de Bruyn.
The 43-year-old Siem won his first European tour title more than 20 years ago. He lost his tour card in 2021 and won it back at qualifying school last year. Then he won the Indian Open at the start of last year for his first tour victory in more than eight years.
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England’s Alice Hewson secured her second Ladies European Tour title after beating India’s Tvesa Malik in a play-off in the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open.
The 26-year-old birdied the first extra hole after the pair had finished tied on 11-under par following an extraordinary finish to the final round at Golfpark Holzhausern.
Hewson slam dunked a bunker shot for an eagle on the 17th and then birdied the last to overhaul Ireland’s Lauren Walsh, who had set the clubhouse target of 10 under following a brilliant 64.
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Malik then amazingly also holed out from the same bunker on the 17th for eagle and matched Hewson’s birdie on the last to force a play-off, which the Englishwoman wrapped up in style with another birdie, and moved up to fifth place in the LET Order of Merit.
“I’m a little bit lost for words really,” said Hewson, whose previous win came in the Investec South African Women’s Open in 2020.
“Huge congrats to Tvesa as well. It was an unreal finish from her today. It was an honour being out there with her in the play-off. It feels a bit surreal. It’s been a while since I’ve been in this situation.
“Coming from my first-ever event on Tour [which I won], to now, it’s been a journey. A lot of ups and downs. I’m lost for words.”
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Max Verstappen claimed his 40th F1 pole position by beating Lando Norris in qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who won the Sprint earlier on Saturday, has been on top form all weekend and took pole by 0.404s from Norris on the shortest track on the calendar in terms of lap time.
Oscar Piastri had gone third fastest in qualifying but had his lap time deleted for track limits at Turn Six, so George Russell was promoted to third, with Carlos Sainz in fourth.
Piastri dropped four places to seventh, behind Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who nearly crashed at the end of Q3 at the penultimate corner.
Sergio Perez qualified eighth, with Nico Hulkenberg in ninth but under investigation for two pit lane infringements, and Esteban Ocon was 10th.
More to follow…
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Sky Sports F1’s live Austrian GP schedule
Saturday June 29 12.25pm: F2 Sprint 2pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up 3pm: Austrian GP Qualifying 5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday June 30 7.25am: F3 Feature Race 8.55am: F2 Feature Race 12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP build-up* 2pm: The AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX* 4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP reaction* 5pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
F1’s triple-header continues with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s big race at 2pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
Katie Boulter beat former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets as she continued her fine form on grass ahead of Wimbledon by reaching the quarter-finals in Eastbourne.
British No 1 Boulter – who successfully defended her title in Nottingham earlier this month – defeated fifth seed Ostapenko 6-4 7-5 and will now face third seed Jasmine Paolini or Elise Mertens.
The world No 32 said: “I wasn’t sure what to expect coming into this grass-court season. I’m out here having fun and enjoying myself.”
Image: Ostapenko reacts during her defeat to Boulter
Boulter took the first set amid a series of errors from Latvian Ostapenko and then broke at 5-5 in the second before holding to complete victory.
“Honestly, I was just trying to slap a little harder than she was,” Boulter said, after beating a Grand Slam winner for the first time.
“She’s so tough to play against, you never know what is going to happen and it’s completely in her control.”
Image: Emma Raducanu plays Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne on Wednesday
Boulter’s fellow Brit Emma Raducanu will look to join her compatriot in the last eight later on Wednesday as she plays American second seed Jessia Pegula.
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, beat 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens in straight sets in Sussex on Tuesday to reach the second round having been awarded a wildcard.
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Mallorca Championships (ATP 250) – June 23-29
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Emma Raducanu has cruised into the second round of the Rothesay International after a straight-sets win over fellow former US Open champion Sloane Stephens in Eastbourne.
Raducanu twice battled back from a break down to take the opening set before rattling through the second in impressive fashion, claiming a 6-4 6-0 victory to the delight of the home crowd.
The 2021 US Open champion has struggled with form and injuries in recent seasons, but said ahead of this week’s event that she was confident “good things are 100 per cent going to happen” after rekindling her love of tennis.
Raducanu, who has a wild card into Wimbledon next week, will play second seed Jessica Pegula – who received a bye – in the next round.
“It was a very close first set and I was down quite a bit all the way through and managed to break,” Raducanu said. “But it’s very difficult because Sloane is super athletic and, in the first set especially, she was making a lot of balls and counter-punching really well.
“It took a lot to try and hit through her but I managed to figure it out in the second set.”
Raducanu missed the entire grass-court season last year following surgery on both wrists and one ankle, yet she showed little sign of any fitness troubles as she warmed up for Wimbledon in devastating fashion by building on her recent run to the semi-finals of Nottingham.
British tennis stars Cameron Norrie and Raducanu revealed what their ideal days away from tennis would look like!
Having been cheered on to Centre Court by a supportive home crowd, Raducanu was aggressive from the outset. A succession of early holds was followed by four consecutive breaks of service during which the home favourite impressively dug in to prevent 31-year-old American Stephens gaining the upper hand.
A deft drop shot followed by an ace in game nine helped turn the contest in Raducanu’s favour before she unleashed a stunning backhand cross-court winner en route to sealing the set.
She then cruised through the second set as world No 45 Stephens, who triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2017, struggled to cope with her opponent’s power and precision.
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Mallorca Championships (ATP 250) – June 23-29
Bad Homburg (WTA 500) – June 23-29
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Scottie Scheffler returned to winning ways and registered a sixth PGA Tour victory in 10 starts after beating Tom Kim in a dramatic finish at the Travelers Championship.
The world No 1, heading into the final round a shot behind at TPC River Highlands, carded five birdies in a bogey-free 65 to finish on 22 under alongside overnight leader and playing partner Tom Kim.
Kim holed a 10-foot birdie on his final hole to force the play-off, after play was briefly halted when multiple protesters ran onto the 18th green and put coloured powder on the putting surface before being removed by police.
Image: Scottie Scheffler is now a six-time winner on the PGA Tour this season
The green was cleared ahead of the play-off, where Kim was unable to get up and down from the sand and Scheffler made a winning par to become the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win six times before July on the PGA Tour.
Victory follows wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players, The Masters, RBC Heritage and Memorial Tournament already this season, with his latest success extending his advantage at the top of both the world rankings and the FedExCup standings.
Image: Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim played in the final group on Sunday alongside Akshay Bhatia
How Scheffler won another Signature Event
Scheffler opened with five straight pars before taking advantage of the par-five sixth and rolling in from 15 feet at the next, then responded to a missed opportunity at the 12th by two-putting from 12 feet to birdie the par-five next.
The two-time major winner fired his approach close at the 14th and added another birdie after driving the green at the par-four 15th, where Kim also picked up a shot to stay within one.
Image: Tom Kim was challenging for a fourth PGA Tour victory and first of the campaign
Kim – who started the day one ahead – had lost his overnight advantage when he reached the turn in level par, only to make three birdies in a six-hole stretch on his back nine to get to 21 under.
Both players failed to convert outside birdie opportunities on the next two holes to keep Scheffler one ahead heading into the par-four last, where Kim almost holed his approach shot to leave him 10 feet from the flag.
Image: The final group were briefly paused on the 18th green for the protesters to be removed by police
Scheffler’s second shot just cleared the greenside bunker and finished on the fringe, before play was briefly disrupted when multiple protesters ran onto the green and powder was thrown on the putting surface.
The protesters were quickly removed and the green cleared of debris, with Scheffler’s outside birdie try stopping on the right edge before Kim poured in his effort to take the contest to a play-off.
Scottie Scheffler brings his baby Bennett to the winner’s interview after claiming the 2024 Travelers Championship after a play-off
Kim saw his approach plug in a bunker and left him unable to save par, as Scheffler missed his birdie effort but tapped in for victory – the 12th of his PGA Tour career and fourth in a Signature Event this season.
“It has been a great season,” Scheffler said. “I’ve been fortunate to come away with some wins and it has been a lot of fun. Tom played his heart out today. He’s a great player, great champion and it was fun battling with him today.”
Asked about the protests on the 18th green, Scheffler added: “Fortunately for Tom and me we’re great friends so we were able to kind of relax each other. You don’t really understand the situation, there’s people running around everywhere and you don’t really know what’s going to happen so it’s a bit confusing.”
Tom Hoge carded a final-round 62 to jump into tied-third with Sungjae Im, while Patrick Cantlay shared fifth spot with Tony Finau, Justin Thomas and Akshay Bhatia.
Live PGA Tour Golf
Thursday 27th June 5:00pm
Cameron Young, who carded just the 13th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history during the third round, opened with four straight birdies and carded a four-under 66 to finish tied-ninth with Shane Lowry, Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman.
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Italy’s Jannik Sinner won his first grasscourt title by edging his doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 7-6 in the Halle Open final on Sunday.
The win marks the 22-year-old Australian Open champion’s 14th singles career title.
Neither player could break serve and both sets went to tiebreaks in which top seed Sinner prevailed against the fifth-seeded Pole.
The first of those tiebreaks unusually stretched to 10-8 in Sinner’s favour, with the second seeing the Italian clinch the match via a more straightforward 7-2 tiebreak success.
The top seed had a chance to go 2-0 up in the second set but Hurkacz saved two break points as both players again held their serves before Sinner claimed the title.
“It’s inspiring what you’ve been doing the last 12 months,” Hurkacz told Sinner. “Jannik becoming number one in the world is really special. I try to learn from that. Big congrats.”
Sinner also congratulated fifth seed Hurkacz, who won the Halle Open in 2022, for reaching another final.
“We’re very good friends off court…seeing us play the final here is very special. Thank you so much,” he said.
World No 1 Sinner is preparing for Wimbledon, where he reached the semi-finals last year. The Grand Slam tournament starts on July 1.
Image: Poland’s Hurkacz has to settle for the runner-up prize after a very tight two sets
Berlin Open: Pegula knocks out Gauff in semis, beats Kalinskaya in final
Jessica Pegula knocked out top seed and fellow American Coco Gauff 7-5 7-6 in a rain-interrupted semi-final clash and went on to beat Anna Kalinskaya 6-7 6-4 7-6 in the final to win the Berlin Open on Sunday.
Jessica Pegula wins the Berlin Open after beating Anna Kalinskaya, claiming her first title since last October
The semi-final was suspended on Saturday due to rain, with world no 5 Pegula leading 7-5 6-6(3-1). She wasted no time after the match resumed under a cloudy sky on Sunday, winning four of the last five points to reach the final.
Pegula lost a competitive first set to Russian Kalinskaya after both players broke the other three times each. But the American bounced back, breaking in the very first game to set up a win in the second set.
Pegula, 30, broke Kalinskaya to take a 3-1 lead in the third set, but the Russian 25-year-old fought back with a break of her own and saved four break points in the next game to make it 4-4.
Kalinskaya was on the verge of two more breaks that would have taken her to victory but the American saved five match points to win both games and take the set into tiebreaker, where she ultimately prevailed.
The win marked Pegula’s fifth career singles title and the first on grass, days before she competes in the Wimbledon where she reached the quarter-finals last year.
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Berlin Open (WTA 500) – June 17-23
Halle (ATP 500) – June 17-23
Mallorca Championships (ATP 250) – June 23-29
Bad Homburg (WTA 500) – June 23-29
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