Hello and welcome to ESPNF1's live coverage of the British Grand Prix. It's a Red Bull front row but those looking for a glimmer of hope will be pleased to know there's rain in the air at Silverstone...

The drivers are saying it is very wet on other parts of the circuit - the pit straight is dry, but Copse and the Becketts section is very wet.

'How wet?' You ask. Well, we've just seen a replay of Sergio Perez on his installation lap to the grid and he lost control on intermediate tyres and crashed through a Pirelli advertising board. Fortunately no real damage, but he's taken a new front wing in the pits.

The big decision for the teams is which tyre to start on. Part of the track is fine for slicks, and further rain is looking unlikely. But that introduces huge risk in the wet high-speed second sector. The other option is to start on intermediates and sacrifice pace in the dry sections, but hope the tyre doesn't overheat. Of course, then you have to pit early as soon as there is a dry line through the second sector. A tough decision...

So, we could have a very interesting first few laps, which will be music to the ears of Lewis Hamilton down in 10th place. Can he challenge for the podium from there? Can Mark Webber beat Sebastian Vettel for the first time this season? If you've got an opinion then let us know using the link above, or you can message Laurence in the Silverstone paddock on Twitter @ESPNF1_live.

So, who is starting on which tyres? It's intermediates for Webber, Vettel, Massa, Alonso and Button. In fact most of the grid are on inters.

And it's clear to see why, by turn three there is a lot of standing water. A lot of this track is properly wet, but the start line is bone dry. This could be a very interesting start to the race, the spray through sector two is pretty bad.

Webber comes down through Stowe, and it is nice and dry again. The top ten are all on intermediate tyres.

The cars line up on this grid for the first time. A lot of worried faces in the garages. The last few are just hitting their marks and the lights are on...

Lap 1

Vettel leads away off the line with a fantastic start, Webber holds off Alonso through the first few corners while Button jumps Massa. Hamilton with a great start up to seventh behind di Resta, and then he gets past up the inside in to Stowe for sixth

Lap 2

Vettel has a lead of over a second after the first lap, Massa is all over Button and passes through turn three.

Hamilton passes Button up the inside in to Brooklands and is all over Massa.

Vettel is streaking away at the front, Webber is 2.3s behind and Alonso a further 3 seconds back

Lap 3

Kovalainen is in the garage for Lotus, looks like the end of his race already.

Hamilton and Massa closing in on Alonso.

Lap 4

The end of the lap and early corners are very dry, and the track is drying quickly as the cars circulate.

Hamilton goes off at Brooklands, but is able to recover and stay ahead of Button.

Lap 5

Schumacher is told Mercedes are thinking of going on to slicks soon, and he responds by saying two or three more laps. He's made a good start up to ninth, Rosberg is down to 12th.

The DRS has just been enabled as all of the drivers are on the same tyre and the Wellington straight - where the zone is - is drying quickly.

Lap 6

Vettel is in a league of his own at present, half a second a lap quicker than Webber and 4.6s clear.

Webber is still not slow though and has 3.5s over Alonso.

Buemi passes Petrov, and then Alguersuari dives up the inside in to Copse.

Rosberg uses DRS to pass Maldonado in to Brooklands, hanging it round the outside to be on the inside of Luffield.

Lap 7

Perez close behind Rosberg, he's got passed Maldonado too. Alonso finally matches Vettel's pace and takes the best part of a second out of Webber.

Alonso is flying in the middle sector and is rapidly gaining on Webber.

Lap 8

Perez keeps pressuring Rosberg, as Vettel eases the gap out to 5.8s at the front. Alonso is under 2 seconds behind Webber now as Hamilton sets the fastest first sector.

Kovalainen tells the BBC it was a gearbox problem, but that he loves these conditions.

Alonso all over the back of Webber now, he's much quicker than the Red Bull right now and takes 1.4s out of him.

Lap 9

Hamilton catching Massa quickly, but his tyres look in a bad way. He says he's looking after them and that it's still too wet.

Kobayashi spins but continues. Schumacher and Sutil made it through.

Hamilton pressuring Massa for fourth, and Alonso is within a second of Webber.

Lap 10

A new fastest lap from Vettel.

Schumacher pits for slicks, this will be the yardstick for everyone else. Schumacher needs a new front wing too, maybe an explanation for Kobayashi's spin.

Webber has pegged Alonso for now, and Hamilton runs wide in to Stowe.

Replays show Schumacher ran in to the back of Kobayashi, but he is now on the slick tyres.

Lap 11

Webber finally ginds some pace and takes 0.3s out of Vettel with a fastest lap. Small gain though on an 8 second gap.

Schumacher is under investigation for his collision with Kobayashi.

Schumacher goes quick on the slicks and Button pits for a set himself.

Lap 12

Button is always good in these conditions.

Massa with no grip at all, Hamilton passed Massa in to Brooklands using DRS but ran wide and lost the place again.

Webber and Alonso pit very close together, Hamilton in too.

Lap 13

Vettel hasn't pit yet, nor has Massa because Alonso was in. Hamilton could jump Massa here. All drivers going for soft tyres.

Trulli has stopped somewhere out on track.

A slow getaway for Kobayashi almost results in contact with Maldonado in the pit lane, and in avoiding him he pulls off a Force India air gun

Lap 14

Vettel and Massa pit. Vettel has a huge lead, while Button goes fastest and is close behind Massa as the Ferrari rejoins.

Schumacher sets the fastest lap in ninth place.

Button all over the back of Massa but can't get traction off the racing line as it's still wet.

Hamilton all over the back of Alonso.

Button pulls a brilliant move around the outside of Massa through Stowe and up the inside in to Vale.

Lap 15

Hamilton dives down the inside of Alonso in to Copse, brilliantly slowing the car having had to go offline. Hamilton is the fastest man on track right now and is up to thrid having started tenth.

Lap 16

Vettel is slow, Webber is within 1.2s of the leader right now...

Vettel responds with a fastest first sector, so it may have just been a scruffy lap.

10 second stop and go for Schumacher.

Lap 17

Vettel responds with a fastest lap, the gap up to 1.4s. Hamilton takes 0.4s out of Webber, and Button sets the fastest lap as he gains on Alonso. Button is fifth, 12 seconds off the lead.

Schumacher serves his stop and go.

Alonso is keeping pace with Hamilton in the battle for third. They both set new fastest laps, Alonso slightly quicker and they took 1.4s out of Webber.

Lap 18

Hamilton gets slightly caught up with traffic and that won't help him catching Webber.

Vettel has pulled the lead back out to 3.2s

A close battle between Kobayashi, Heidfeld and Alguersuari for 11th

Lap 19

Heidfeld uses the DRS to dive up the inside of Kobayashi in to Brooklands.

Alguersuari followed him through and is all over the back of Heidfeld.

Hamilton sets the fastest lap, 0.4s quicker than Webber and Vettel.

Maldonado puts a great move on Kobayashi around the outside of Stowe, but Kobayashi dives back up the inside at Vale. Great racing.

Lap 20

Kobayashi gets a ten second stop and go for an unsafe release in the pit lane. We are seeing stop and go penalties as the pit lane is quicker than the last few corners, so a drive-through would be an advantage.

Lap 21

Webber with a new fastest lap. He's 3s behind Vettel, with Hamilton 4.4s further back and Alonso 1.7s behind him. Button and Massa are four seconds apart and four behind Alonso.

Lap 22

This time Alonso with the fastest lap. times are coming down as drivers get confident with the drying track. Hamilton takes another half a second out of Webber.

Alonso picking up the pace.

Schumacher puts in a very brave move on Petrov, up the inside in to Copse completely off the dry line.

Schumacher is closing up on Petrov for 15th as he recovers from his penalty.

Lap 23

Hamilton has his mirrors full of Alonso, and Webber is just 2.7s up the road as he is losing a lot of time to the pair behind. The top four are now within 8 seconds.

Hamilton defends the inside line in to Vale. Alonso looking much quicker now, and he uses the DRS to cruise past on the outside of the Wellington straight.

Button is now five seconds further back as McLaren come out. Hamilton pits.

Lap 24

Hamiton puts on another set of softs. His first set lasted 11 laps. Alonso has closed to 2.4s behind Webber.

Kobayashi has retired with a smoking engine.

Lap 25

Alonso still the quickest man out there. Hamilton, sets a fastest middle sector on fresh rubber.

The gap between Vettel and Alonso is now 6.7s. We have a race on.

Di Resta pitted and Force India had the wrong set of tyres for him so a big delay. A shame as he was comfortably running 7th.

Lap 26

Alonso is still out there, and Webber pits as he had Alonso close behind.

Button and Massa pit.

Alonso just took a second out of Vettel at the front, gap down below 6 seconds.

Lap 27

Vettel and Alonso both pit.

Buemi has a puncture, it came from contact with Di Resta, who has a damaged front wing.

Lap 28

Vettel with a very slow pit stop, Alonso leads the race.

Hamilton got through too.

Disaster for Red Bull, they had to rejack up the car. Webber is close behind Vettel.

Lap 29

Hamilton is close behind Alonso, just inside a second at the moment.

Hamilton can use his DRS but is too far back.

Vettel sets the fastest first sector, it's time to see what he really has got in his locker.

Replays show Vettel had a problem with his left rear tyre. Webber also had a slow stop.

Lap 30

Alonso has bolted, a new fastest lap giving him a 2 second lead.

Buemi has retired.

Lap 31

Another fastest lap from Alonso. He was 0.9s quicker than Vettel and Webber who are stick behind Hamilton for now. Hamilton is doing a solid job of holding off Vettel for now, but DRS is about to come in to play...

Lap 32

Fortunately for Hamilton, they were coming up to lap di Resta and he could use his DRS too. This is playing in to Alonso's hands beautifully, he has a lead of over 6.5s now.

Lap 33

Hamilton defending hard from Vettel. Webber can't quite latch on the back of this pair, as Button is slowly edging up to the back of Webber, 4.6s back at present. Replays show Webber running very wide on to the grass on the Hangar Straight.

Lap 34

Vettel in the slip stream in to Copse, but doesn't make a move. Alonso's lead up to 8.3s.

Schumacher makes a good move up the inside of Alguersuari in to Stowe.

Lap 35

Hamilton doing a good job of using his KERS to get enough of a boost in the DRS zone to prevent Vettel getting too close. Button is 2.7s behind Webber, who has dropped 1.6s behind Vettel.

Heidfeld closes the door on Schumacher in to Copse in the battle for 11th.

Lap 36

Vettel gets very close behind Hamilton exiting Woodcote, but has to lift before Copse to prevent running in to the back of the McLaren. Vettel pits.

Lap 37

Vettel exits his pit box at pace, and sets about pumping in some fast times. Webber has Button within 1.2s now as Hamilton pits too. Can he get out in front of Vettel?

Lap 38

No he can't. Hamilton comes out about 1.5s behind Vettel. Button is told to pit in an attempt to jump Webber. Vettel is behind Massa now, and that could also help Alonso's cause. Webber pits and Button stays out...

Lap 39

Vettel is right up behind Massa, and makes it past on the run to Copse. All a bit too easy for the Red Bull there, and Alonso pits to cover.

Lap 40

Button pits too, with Webber rounding the final corners, Button looked to have the jump on Webber but stops as he exits the pits. His front right wasn't on the car and he is out of the race.

Lap 41

Such a shame for Button, he appeared to have got ahead of Webber in the pit stops but the front right wheel never went on properly as the lollipop went up too early.

Alonso has a lead of 12.6s. Hamilton has closed to within 2.5s of Vettel.

Lap 42

Massa pits, Webber is 4s behind Hamilton in the race for third. Vettel seems a bit slow at the moment, but Hamilton is told he needs to save more fuel, which may curtail his chase for second.

Lap 43

Webber takes 1.4s out of Hamilton, who is desperately trying to save fuel with 9 laps to go. Alonso appears to have the race undcer control as he extends his lead to 14.1s.

Lap 44

Diana emails in to say: "Button and Vettel are doing their best and get shot down by sloppy pitwork !!! Pity."

Hamilton locks up heavily in to Vale. Webber is closing in quickly

Lap 45

Button's bad luck at Silverstone continues; he's yet to finish on the podium here. Webber is close behind Hamilton now, who had the pace to challenge Vettel before then. Hamilton's radio tells him to "Do what you can, don't make him easy for him" as Webber puts the pressure on.

Lap 46

Webber in the DRS zone and he is able to cruise around the outside of Hamilton, who nearly runs in to the back of the Red Bull as he locks his left front. Now can Webber close in on Vettel? The gap is 4.6s.

Perez is close behind Rosberg for 6th place.

Lap 47

Also close together are Heidfeld, Schumacher and Alguersuari in 8th, 9th and 10th.

Hamilton - in fuel saving mode - is 2.6s a lap slower than Massa behind him, with an 11.4s gap.

Lap 48

Webber has the gap down to three seconds now, and Vettel has been seen going off line to cool his tyres. It might not be quite over for second place either. Alonso leads by 19 seconds.

Lap 49

Massa has the gap down to 7.3s with four laps to go. Hamilton really struggling to save fuel and angrily asking over the radio for more information.

Webber has the gap to Vettel down to 2.5s on this lap...

Lap 50

Make that two seconds. 1.2s quicker on the last lap. Massa just took 3 seconds out of Hamilton, and it looks like he won't be able to resist when Massa gets there. A shame for the home fans.

Webber and Vettel very close now with 2 full laps remaining.

Lap 51

The gap between Webber and Vettel is just one second now as they start the penultimate lap. Webber uses DRS, and Vettel goes to cool his tyres. A real battle for second now, Vettel defends through Copse.

Lap 52

Alonso starts the final lap, Vettel and Webber are very close together. As are Hamilton and Massa. Webber opens his DRS but can't get past.

Alonso wins the race as Webber is told not to pass Vettel. Massa passes Hamilton in to Vale, and Hamilton comes back at him in to the final corner and just holds on to fourth! There was contact as Massa went round the outside in to Vale and Hamilton slid in to the side of him. It broke his front wing but he came back up the inside through Club to retake the position.

Hamilton very complimentary to his team over the radio. Behind that battle, Rosberg came home half a minute down in sixth, with Perez seventh, Heidfeld eighth, Schumacher ninth and Alguersuari tenth.

Alonso climbs out of the car and celebrates. Lots of congratulations for Ferrari, but Vettel doesn't look too unhappy either.

The result of all that is that Vettel actually extends his lead in the championship, it is now up to 80 points over Webber who was prevented from challenging Vettel on the final lap. Alonso jumps up to third in the standings.

Alonso literally jumps on the podium as he takes to the top step for the first time this year. Preventing Vettel from winning appears to have gone down pretty well among the British fans!

Alonso receives his trophy from Prince Harry and raises it high above his head. The fans are on the track below as the champagne begins to flow. Thanks for joining us for what was an exciting race right to the end, keep an eye on the site for all of the reaction and live coverage will be back for first free practice in Germany in two weeks time.