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

Mercedes looks to have the edge on its rivals from practice. Behind that, Ferrari looks best of the rest and then it seems to be Williams and the very exciting Toro Rosso rookies champing at the bit for a spot on the third row.

Pisses me off when I hear F1 people blaming the media for F1 problems. That's like a drunk blaming his friends for calling him an alcoholic

— Sean Kelly (@virtualstatman) July 4, 2015

Have to say I agree with that, as a member of the media. But maybe I'm biased.

Weather-wise, there was an enormous storm overnight but there's only a small chance of rain today.

Alonso's car is currently up on the jacks, with lots of pieces missing and working taking place on it. Looks fairly ominous for McLaren, though they think Q2 would be a good achievement this afternoon.

Lots of eyes on Kimi Raikkonen today. A good qualifying session from him today is absolutely key with ongoing question-marks about his future.

Away from the front, however, there's going to be a real fight to get into Q3. Force India has looked a lot better with its new B-Spec car but will be a long way from optimising it just yet. Expect them to be in a fight with Lotus and Red Bull for that final qualifying session.

Air remperature is 22 degrees Celsius. Track temp 36C. Humidity 57%. Limited chance of wind despite the classic British scattering of clouds.

It's the gusts that tend to catch drivers out at Silverstone and there's a fair few breezes around the circuit today. There was quite a heavy tailwind down the main straight during practice this morning.

Marc says: "Forza Ferrari! Forza Kimi! (Does that even make sense? My Italian is notta so good.)"

The session is green and the first car out on track is a Manor.

Alonso is in his car, though there's still work going on. Hamilton is in his car and is now out on track.

Hamilton out on the hard compound. Mercedes and Ferrari are both unlikely to need the option compound in this session.

We have 15 drivers out on track.

The Manors put themselves first and second, which as you know won't last very long.

Unsurprisingly, Hamilton moves into P1 - a massive 4.6s quicker than Stevens' original headline time.

Bottas goes second, four tenths off Hamilton. Ricciardo slots in behind him six tenths down.

Rosberg goes P1 now, four tenths quicker than his team-mate. Alonso is out on track, so a good job from McLaren to get him out for this session.

"Be mindful of the wind changes," Mercedes tells Hamilton.

Hulkenberg is up to fifth in the B-Spec Force India.

Replays show Verstappen getting all out of shape coming through Turns 1 and 2.

Verstappen then span coming through The Loop, which left his Toro Rosso facing the wrong way. The 17-year-old is yet to set a time in that car which looked so pacey in practice.

Hulkenberg's lap time is going to be deleted for exceeding the track limits.

Raikkonen's first timed lap puts him into fourth.

Hamilton improves to a 1:33.796 but that doesn't put him above Rosberg.

Rosberg lowers the benchmark to a 1:33.475.

We just saw a replay of Vettel running wide at Copse - getting his lap time deleted. The wind at the corner is really causing problems for the drivers. Stewards are going to busy on that one today.

In the battle to escape this session, Alonso puts himself 10th fastest, crucially above both Saubers currently. His car looks a bit more stable than it did this morning.

Verstappen has a lap time deleted and he drops to the bottom of the leaderboard. This could get interesting later in the session as the clock ticks away.

Raikkonen lowers his benchmark futher, before Vettel slots in behind him. Bottas jumps back ahead of his fellow Finn for third. The gap to Mercedes currently six tenths.

The clock has ticked past six minutes as Grosjean heads out for the first time today. Verstappen still yet to put a time on the board.

Ericsson told he has an opportunity to get into Q2 because of the amount of drivers who had their times deleted. Hulkenberg and Perez both in rather threatening territory after having times of their own deleted.

Maldonado, on the medium tyre, goes 13th but the stewards immediately flag up that he went wide at Copse. Deleted time. Lotus tells him to cool the tyres and go again next time round.

Hulkenberg crosses to go ninth. Kvyat has moved up to fifth but also exceeded the track limits. Surely sausage kerbs would be easier than deleting all these times...

The top three runners are in the pits. Everyone else still out there.

Less than two minutes left. Perez moves to fourth fastest on the medium compound.

The bottom five - Maldonado, Button, Nasr, Stevens and Merhi.

Verstappen tells Toro Rosso he has no traction whatsoever. Very different story to this morning when they were fifth and sixth in FP3.

Into the final 45 seconds now. Alonso currently in a bit of danger in 15th.

The chequered flag falls, meaning those on a lap can complete it.

Maldonado improves to 13th...

Alonso escapes from the drop zone but those behind him are on a lap too....

Nasr jumps above Alonso into 14th...

Raikkonen goes P1 on the medium tyres. The Finn looks to be in a good groove.

Ericsson leaps into 11th, relegating Alonso into the drop zone. Kvyat leaps out of the bottom five.

Vettel finishes Q3 in third, 0.136s down on his team-mate. That run was also on the medium compound. So, dropping out - Nasr, Alonso, Button, Stevens, Merhi.

McLarens 17th and 18th at the British Grand Prix. Still hard to digest.

Rosberg and Hamilton wedged either side of third-placed Vettel, but neither Mercedes man went out on the medium tyre late on.

#StayPositive is still the message from McLaren. Looking forward to seeing that press release later.

FIA president Jean Todt is talking to Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda in the Mercedes garage.

Odd that there are no penalties being handed out for exceeding the track limits at Copse but not at the final corner.

The clock is ticking again and that means one thing - Q2 is under way.

Speed traps from that first session: HAM 326.4 ROS 326.3 NAS 325.6 GRO 324.5 MAS 324.4 MAL 324.0 RAI 323.8 ERI 322.8 PER 322.8 HUL 321.6

Great to see the grandstands packed at Silverstone.

British GP was one of the top five fans considered essential to the F1 calendar in the GPDA survey. Still a classic.

Not the result I wanted, but it's a big day for JB tomorrow. I can't wait to see you all cheer him on.

— Kyle PU22 (@hondapu22) July 4, 2015

Some positive feedback by the drivers as we set the car up for Q2. Time to send them out on track again... #BritishGP #FeelTheForce

— Sahara Force India (@ForceIndiaF1) July 4, 2015

Not much action early in this session, as Hulkenberg and the Williams drivers occupy the track.

Hamilton joins themon the circuit. Medium tyres all the way now.

The track is starting to get busier. Bottas the first man out on a timed lap.

Rosberg told he's on his race set and warned not to go off at Copse as he'd have to do another run.

Bottas goes P1 with a 1:33.273. Replays show Massa having a messy moment coming through Turn 1.

Hamilton starts his first flying lap of Q2.

However, it looks like he's aborted the lap after locking up coming into Turn 2. Those will be his race set, then, meaning he may need to put on another set and do another lap.

Hulkenberg moves into P2 with a 1:33.693.

Sainz moves into P4, while Rosberg goes P1 by a full half a second.

Kvyat and Ricciardo go fourth and fifth.

Hamilton has started another flying lap.

"Pastor, we did the limits again. We went over the limits again. We can't do that," is the message from Lotus to Maldonado. His time has been deleted.

Hamilton goes into P2 despite replays showing him losing the back end through Luffield.

Verstappen sounds pretty frantic in the Toro Rosso, saying he can't do anything because he has no traction.

Toro Rosso looked really strong this morning but that seems to have vanished in this afternoon's qualifying - proof the free practice sessions can be misleading.

Just the two Ferraris out on track now. Only those two and Ericsson and Maldonado yet to set a time - the latter having his time deleted.

Massa joins the Ferraris out on track.

Raikkonen's first time gets deleted, having run wide at Copse. Vettel, meanwhile, moves into fourth. Raikkonen has three minutes to set a lap time otherwise he'll be out of this session and the track is only going to get busier from this point.

"That was on the kerb, still," Raikkonen says. It's still been deleted and replays show all four wheels went over.

Massa crosses to go sixth. Raikkonen on a tidier lap and has cleared Copse successfully...

Raikkonen moves into P8 and crosses in time to do another lap, which he may need to do.

Raikkonen moves into P8 and crosses in time to do another lap, which he may need to do.

Ricciardo moves into seventh, pushing Kimi down to ninth....

Bottas improves to second, splitting the two Mercedes. Williams putting Ferrari under real pressure.

Perez and Ericsson can't improve....

Maldonado can't improve....

Sainz can't improve either, staying tenth. Raikkonen should just get away with this one.

Perez can't improve on his next run either! Not good for the Force India man with Hulkenberg sixth - and his lap time has been deleted for his trouble.

Being eliminated - Perez, Grosjean, Verstappen, Maldonado and Ericsson. Verstappen sounds pretty exacerbated after that one.

The clock is ticking and Q3 is under way.

All quiet on the Silverstone front early on. Anticipation building for these fans as they wait to see the shootout for pole.

Here starts the action - Hamilton one of the men out there.

Massa the only driver not out on track out of the ten.

Stewards are starting to delete times for running wide at the final corner, too.

Hamilton has no problems through the Loop this time around as he starts his first timed lap.

No issues at Luffield for the world champion either.

Ricciardo and then Raikkonen go top of the timing screens.

Bottas goes top, but is immediately displaced by Hamilton's 1:32.248.

Rosberg can only manage P2, one tenth down on Hamilton.

There's a massive nine tenths between Bottas in third and Hamilton in first.

Well then - has Williams made a step? They are currently locking out the second row ahead of Ferrari ... Raikkonen also currently ahead of Vettel on the third row.

Kvyat also ahead of his team-mate at this stage. The Red Bull pendulum has really swung towards the Russian in recent weeks.

The teams get new Pirellis on their cars and head back out for their third and final runs. Hamilton out on track before Rosberg, something Mercedes alternates from race to race.

In fact, most teams alternate from race to race.

All ten men are on the track as we approach the final minute.

Bottas, currently third, the first man to start his final flying lap.

Replay of Vettel and a Williams having to squeeze past Rosberg on the run down to Stowe.

Bad first sector from Hamilton.

Hulkenberg moves into ninth. Hamilton is not going to improve ... Rosberg's lap time doesn't look spectacular either.

Ricciardo runs off at Copse, meaning his time will be deleted.

Massa swaps places with Bottas to take third!

Lewis Hamilton takes pole position for the British Grand Prix

Another Mercedes front row lock out, but no Ferraris behind them as Williams lock out the second row. Raikkonen out-qualifies Vettel.

"Strange, no grip on the left front. Really strange," Rosberg tells Mercedes. You're still second Nico.

So there you have it - another Mercedes one-two. Can Williams get into the mix for the race tomorrow? Please do join us again for commentary on Sunday afternoon for the British Grand Prix.