Hamilton dropped down in qualifying after an error-ridden final lap

CHARLES LECLERC exploded in an X-rated rant at himself, swearing NINE times after a disappointing qualifying ahead of the British Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver, 27, was left fuming after finishing in sixth in qualifying, one place behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone on Saturday.

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Charles Leclerc swore at himself NINE times as he was left disappointed with his qualifying performance at SIlverstone

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Leclerc will start from sixth at the British Grand Prix on Sunday
On the team radio, Leclerc raged: “F*** f*** f*** f***! F*** that. I am so f***ing s***. I am so f***ing s***. That’s all I am. That’s all I am.”

It was a gutting result for the Monaco-born driver who was hunting for pole position after finishing Q2 so strongly.

The FIA has strict rules on swearing, but Leclerc will most likely avoid a fine – which would’ve been his second in under a year – as it was said on the team radio and not in a press conference.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem reduced the penalties for drivers swearing or blasting officials after a huge backlash from the grid.

The rule change was revealed before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May, with the new document differentiating between offences committed in “controlled” and “uncontrolled” zones.

This differentiates between things drivers say and do while racing, and in forums such as news conferences, where adrenaline is not a big factor.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen’s catch-phrase “that was simply lovely”  returned after he stole pole position away from championship leader Oscar Piastri, with Lando Norris making up the front row – all three drivers have secured four poles this season.

The top three, along with both Ferraris, appeared to be in a five-way battle for pole going into the final runs of the session, but Verstappen was able to hold it together while his rivals made errors to set a leading time of 1:24.892s.

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Max Verstappen beat Oscar Piastri to pole position at Silverstone, with Lando Norris starting third on Sunday

George Russell had appeared completely out of contention with Mercedes struggling for the entire session, but made a remarkable improvement on his final run to finish fourth, just 0.137s behind Verstappen.

Hamilton was denied a 12th front row at Silverstone after dropping to fifth after sitting in P2 for most of the third qualifying session.

The Ferrari driver went too wide in the last corner, losing grip on the edge to finish 0.02 seconds behind pole in his first home race in Red.

But earlier, it had been too close for comfort for seven-time world champ in the first session as he progressed into Q2 by the skin of his teeth.

The British 40-year-old was unable to go again at the end of the session as there wasn’t enough fuel in his car.

The nine-time Silverstone winner’s younger brother Nicolas, who is also a racing driver, was watching on from the Ferrari garage with mum Carmen Larbalestier.

Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh for Mercedes but will start from 10th as he serves a three-place grid penalty for running into Verstappen in Austria.

Oliver Bearman took an impressive eighth for Haas but will start from 18th after receiving a 10-place grid penalty for a bizarre final practice incident in which he accelerated under red flags before crashing on his way into the pit lane.

Fernando Alonso took advantage of Aston Martin’s upgrades to take ninth, while Pierre Gasly impressed by getting his Alpine into the top 10.

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Lewis Hamilton will have to fight for his 10th Silverstone race win from fifth in the grid