Hello and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of qualifying for the British Grand Prix.

Mercedes looks to be in a class of its own again this weekend. Its chances of winning have increased massively in the last few hours, too, with Sebastian Vettel set to serve his second gearbox penalty in two races after a failure in FP3.

Red Bull has looked pacey this weekend, again showing the strength of its chassis. Ferrari is probably in that battle for best of the rest, but don't discount Williams from that either as we know they tend to step things up on Saturdays.

Behind that there could be an almighty scrap for the final spaces in Q3, with McLaren looking strong so far this weekend with Honda's upgraded power unit. When everything is turned up they may struggle to match Alonso's P7 from this morning when Force India and Toro Rosso have everything running properly, but a Q3 appearance has to be the aim in front of the team's home crowd.

The rain has held off so far, but it's still mild out there. Rain might well mix the grid up like we saw in Austria.

Just over ten minutes left until Q1.

Some great banners out on the circuit. My personal favourite: "Rosberg, corner ahead - Don't forget to turn!" No doubting who the fans are behind this weekend.

One man who will not be appearing in this session is Marcus Ericsson after his big shunt in FP3. He's at hospital having routine checks following that one.

For reference, last year's pole time was 1:32.248s. Softer compounds this year so that will certainly be beaten in this session and already has been over the weekend.

Great to see full grandstands for this one. Not the case at all the recent races.

Hamilton one of the first men out on track.

Everyone has gone straight to the soft tyre, the softest compound this weekend.

Wehrlein has a bit of a wobble at Woodcote.

Force India's drivers complete a shakedown lap on the medium tyre but return to the pit lane.

Haryanto briefly sits in P1, but is immediately beaten by Gutierrez...

Rosberg climbs to P1 on a 1:30.724 and Hamilton slots in behind him by 0.006s. Rosberg looking very strong despite missing all of FP2 yesterday.

Grosjean slots into third but a massive 2.3s off Rosberg's current benchmark.

Palmer the first man to have a time deleted, running all four wheels off the track at Copse.

Still no movement at Ferrari. Vettel's performance even more important with that gearbox penalty to come...

I'm happiest when Track Limits are being respected, and enforced. #BritishGP

— Fake Charlie Whiting (@charlie_whiting) July 9, 2016

Verstappen moves into third, 0.581s off the leaders. Ricciardo moves in behind him. Red Bull looking very strong behind Mercedes. Is Ricciardo's unbeaten qualifying record about to end this afternoon?

Magnussen runs wide at Abbey and has a time deleted, something which has happened to both Renault drivers.

Hulkenberg's first soft tyre time puts him just behind Massa in sixth.

Hamilton runs deep at Stowe and immediately bails out into the pit lane.

Button's first lap slots him in behind Hulkenberg, before teammate Alonso moves into seventh. Would love to see a McLaren in Q3.

Vettel's first lap sees him split the Red Bull drivers, moving into fourth, eight tenths behind Rosberg.

The newly re-signed Raikkonen moves ahead of Vettel by three tenths of a second.

Massa gets all four wheels off the circuit at the first corner.

Should mention a very impressive eighth position for Sainz in the Toro Rosso.

Perez the only man yet to register a time but he's currently driving down the Hangar Straight.

He goes 11th.

So, now everyone has recorded a lap, the drop zone: Magnussen, Haryanto, Wehrlein, Gutierrez and Nasr. Ericsson sitting out the session following his earlier shunt.

Approaching the final three minutes. The guys in the upper reaches of the timing screens have come back to the pits.

Gutierrez leaps clear of the drop zone, going tenth with a 1:32.237. Teammate Grosjean moves up to 12th.

Seems Nasr had a big wobble coming through Stowe, where the Sauber looks to be struggling quite a lot.

So the drop zone is now Palmer, Magnussen, Haryanto, Nasr and Wehrlein. Button in pretty risky territory, just 0.181s up on Palmer and still in the pits....

Cameras show Button watching on from his cockpit. Some nervy moments at McLaren.

Kvyat also in risky territory in 16th.

Magnussen climbs to 15th, dropping Kvyat into the drop zone.

Can anyone else improve? If they do, Button drops out of the session...

Wehrlein improves, but only to 19th ahead of Haryanto and Nasr.

Haryanto improves on his own lap to out-qualify Wehrlein!

Kvyat improves on his own time! Button drops out of Q1 at Silverstone.

Odd that McLaren left him in the garage at the end there. His time did not look all that safe.

Big applause for Button as he walks down the pit lane. "Bloody Kvyat, hey," he says to his engineer with a smile.

Palmer also gets some cheers as he pulls into the pits.

Button's getting his race suit back on - perhaps someone's time has been deleted ahead of him.

Replays being shown of Magnussen with all four wheels off the track at Woodcote. If so, that time will be deleted as per the rules. Magnussen also runs wide at Stowe.

So the light goes green and we don't know who is going to be competing in the session! No confirmation if Button is in this session...

Clearly something being investigated. Magnussen back in his car, too. Neither he or Button leaving the garage yet.

Anyway, one Brit who definitely is in the session is Hamilton, and he's one of the first men to start a timed lap.

Rosberg actually further up the circuit than Hamilton.

Button is now taking his helmet off again - big confusion over all this.

Renault confirms Magnussen is through to this session, so Button is out.

Rosberg briefly goes top and then Hamilton roars to the top with a 1:29.243. Wow. Mercedes turning the engine right up here.

"Box, box, this is race set, look after them," Mercedes tells Hamilton. We won't be seeing him again in this session.

That Hamilton lap time 0.3s quicker than Vettel's 2010 pole time in the V10 RB6. Mega.

Rosberg 0.7s down on Hamilton after those first runs.

Replays show Verstappen putting all four wheels off the track, which should see his time deleted if it was on the one which currently put him third.

Bottas moves into fifth behind the Red Bull drivers, 2.2s off the lead.

Replays show Raikkonen spinning through the final sequence of corners after backing off to give himself some space for that lap. That's a wrecked set of tyres.

Vettel in the other Ferrari goes fourth quickest, 1.6s off the pace.

Perez reporting his pit-limiter is not working properly.

Salman said: Button seems to have all the worst luck in the world right now.. I thought they didn't sent him out thinking his time was enough but his rear end plate was broken and what a time to sit out at qualifying."

Button has just confirmed the delay was because of an endplate falling off his car. Not enough time to get out again for the end.

Raikkonen heads out on a new set of tyres.

Current drop zone: Perez, Kvyat, Gutierrez, Massa and Raikkonen (no time).

Alonso in tenth has just been told there's plenty to play for in the final moments, so imagine we'll see a late flurry of activity here.

Raikkonen runs deep at Turn 3! Simply locked up the car. He should have time for another lap - did Ferrari fuel him for another lap though? We'll see.

Arrivabene seen shaking his head after that Raikkonen mistake.

Raikkonen stays out, so it's all on this lap for the Finn. He surely doesn't need to push too hard in that car but bear in mind these will also be his race tyres...

Assuming he makes it to Q3 they will be his race tyres.

The chequered flag falls, there's going to be a lot of times coming in the next few moments...

Raikkonen gets it done, climbing to sixth position.

Gutierrez can only improve to 13th. Perez jumps to ninth.

Hulkenberg can't improve on eighth, can anyone else improve on their times?

Alonso leaps into eighth! Grosjean can't improve on 12th.

Massa improves but only to 12th. Sainz leaps clear to eighth! That pushes Perez into the drop zone.

Wow, Perez and Massa out of the session, did not expect that.

So, dropping out of the session: Perez, Massa, Grosjean, Gutierrez, Kvyat, Magnussen.

Sainz once again doing a super job for Toro Rosso. He's going to be keeping those two Red Bull drivers on their heels, isn't he...

Replays show Raikkonen sliding off the circuit and putting all four wheels off the circuit at Woodcote. Looks like he's been allowed to keep the time.

Also a replay of Verstappen putting all four wheels off the circuit during one of his laps. Not sure this 'zero tolerance' approach has truly been zero tolerance.

So, can Hamilton replicate that mega lap in Q3? Clearly there's some supreme pace in that car and Rosberg is yet to find any of it. It's Q3 that counts, not Q2... all set for a great showdown between the two.

"Blocking, blocking... [censored] penalty!" comes some delayed radio from Kvyat. Replays show him stuck behind a Renault.

"Blocking, blocking... [censored] penalty!" comes some delayed radio from Kvyat. Replays show him stuck behind a Renault.

Rosberg the first man out as the 12-minute Q3 session begins.

McLaren slowly making that progress we've long heard them talking about - five Q3 appearances in six races. Ever so slowly crawling closer to the front.

Rosberg the first man to start a flyer in Q3.

Lots of pictures of everyone putting all four wheels off the track in Q2 - including Hamilton. Always difficult to know which lap a specific replay is of but clearly, that rule isn't being as strictly enforced as the FIA said.

Ferrari has sent Vettel and Raikkonen out almost together.

Rosberg sets a 1:29.606.

Hamilton immediately moves into provisional pole, a 1:29.339, that's two tenths up on Rosberg. They'll both get another attempt at the end of the session.

Hulkenberg goes P3.

Verstappen once again goes P3, nine tenths off Hamilton's benchmark.

Javier says: During Q2 "I saw Hamilton putting four wheels off the track. I didn`t get which corner, but it was during an aerial rear shot. Also Raikkonen and Verstappen off limits. The rule seems to be a joke!"

Ricciardo goes fourth, Ricciardo fifth and Vettel can't beat either of them, settling for sixth -- he has a five-place penalty to come.

Replays show Vettel nearly losing the car completely through Stowe, similar to how Ericsson did in FP3. He managed to save the slide but that would explain some of his gap to Raikkonen, which is half a second.

Hamilton's time has been deleted!

Race control says it's for track limits at Turn 9 (Copse) and replays show why - all four wheels off the circuit there. A slam dunk penalty for the stewards. Suddenly the advantage swings back to Rosberg.

Turns 9, 15 and 18 were the ones specified by race control as the zero tolerance corners.

Unsurprisingly, Hamilton the first man out. He'll need one of his famous qualifying laps -- and without all four wheels leaving the circuit.

All ten men out again for another lap. Hamilton the first man to start a flyer in this final portion.

Lots of fan noise as he comes through the first few corners.

Fascinated to see the Red Bull-Ferrari duel behind Mercedes. At the moment, Red Bull is set to lock out the second row (assuming Hamilton gets any sort of time out of this lap).

All four wheels off at Luffield for Hamilton but that doesn't seem to be one of the 'zero tolerance' corners.

Hamilton goes back to P1! A 1:29.287. Will that time remain?

The crowds here cheered as he crossed the line but let's wait and see if it stays. Rosberg's times are not spectacular.

Verstappen can't improve on his time... Raikkonen does improve on his but stays fifth.

Rosberg doesn't improve! Hamilton on pole position.

Ricciardo's run comes to an end! Verstappen out-qualifies Ricciardo as Red Bull beat Ferrari to the second row of the grid.

Hamilton pumps his first and waves to the crowd as he comes through Stowe.

Looks like Alonso had a time deleted at the end of the session too, dropping to tenth.

"Awesome job pal, awesome job."

Raikkonen also out-qualifies Vettel on merit too. Vettel set to drop five places with that gearbox penalty, so he'll start 11th tomorrow.

Hamilton jumps around in parc ferme and waves to the watching crowd. The start tomorrow is going to be absolutely unmissable.

So then - it's Mercedes - Red Bull - Ferrari tomorrow. Bottas and Hulkenberg on the fourth row, with the ever-impressive Carlos Sainz ahead of fellow countryman Alonso in the top ten.

That's all we have time for this afternoon, with a fascinating British Grand Prix to come tomorrow morning. Be sure not to miss it -- and be sure to keep it here with ESPN. See you tomorrow!