Dutch Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen of team Red Bull drives at Silverstone Circuit, on the first practice ahead of the Formula One British Grand Prix. David Davies/PA Wire/dpa

Four time reigning world champion Max Verstappen gave another demonstration of his class when he stormed to an impressive pole position for the British Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday.

Red Bull’s Verstappen clocked 1 minute 24.892 seconds on the iconic 5.891 kilometres Silverstone course to steal first place on Sunday’s grid from championship leader Oscar Piastri.

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McLaren’s Piastri trailed by .103 of a second to finish just ahead of championship leading team-mate Lando Norris, who led a trio of Britons which also included Mercedes’ George Russell in fourth and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in fifth.

Hamilton has a record nine wins at Silverstone and has been on the podium in the last 11 races there.

Verstappen’s fourth season and 44th overall pole was sweet for him and the team a week after his Austrian GP race ended in lap one after being hit by the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli.

Piastri tops the championship 15 points from Norris and 61 ahead of Verstappen, with Sunday’s race marking halfway in the 24-race season.

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Q1 was red flagged after Franco Colapinto of Alpine spun off and then stopped back on the track.

Antonelli and Haas driver Oliver Bearman came seventh and eighth, respectively, but will start further back due to grid penalties.

Antonelli loses three places due to the Austrian incident, and Bearman 10 places for driving too fast under a red flag in final practice, where he then also hit the barriers entering the pit lane.