It was a successful day for English sport on Saturday as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell locked out the front row at Silverstone before taking in the Three Lions win vs Switzerland
Mercedes racers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell capped off a successful day at Silverstone on Saturday, by celebrating England’s win over Switzerland at Euro 2024.
The pair were on stage in front of a legion of Formula 1 enthusiasts in Silverstone’s fan zone, with England’s quarter-final shown on a gigantic screen. The pair greeted fans and threw hats into the crowd but also took time to sit on the stage to take in the tense affair.
After a nerve-wracking 120 minutes that saw Bukayo Saka’s goal save the Three Lions from crashing out of the tournament, Gareth Southgate’s side produced a faultless penalty shootout. Cole Palmer, Saka, Jude Bellingham, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold held their composure from 12 yards out to see England progress past Switzerland.
The winning strike saw Hamilton quickly rise to his feet in celebration, while Russell pumped his fist. The crowd behind them were equally jubilant and launched into a chorus of ‘It’s coming home!’ that saw Russell, wearing a retro England shirt, join in and his teammate enthusiastically nod his head to the beat.
England will next face Netherlands in the semi-finals of the competition after the Dutch came from behind to defeat Turkey. France and Spain will contest the other match for a place in the final.
There was success for England at Silverstone too however. Having undergone qualification for the British Grand Prix earlier in the day, Mercedes drivers claimed the front row of the grid for Sunday’s race.
Russell takes pole position having finished quicker than Hamilton by 0.171 seconds. Lando Norris rounded off the top three finishing just 0.040 seconds behind Hamilton but ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen.
The English trio will hope to record a win over the Dutchman that can inspire the national football team in Germany. World champion Verstappen had a difficult day in qualifying after a scary moment in Q1 saw the 26-year-old damage the floor of his car in the gravel at Copse corner.
Red Bull’s leader has been allowed to swap out the floor in advance of Sunday’s race however. Parc ferme rules allow constructors to make like-for-like parts changes to replace those that are damaged, meaning Verstappen will incur no penalty.
Russell earned his second F1 win seven days ago in Austria, and will hope to covert pole position into a third on Sunday. The 26-year-old star knows it will be a difficult task however.
“This is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” said Russell. “The car was just insane – it just really came alive. Crossing the line and seeing my name P1, and then seeing we were both on the front row… we couldn’t have even dreamt of that after the first three or four races.”
“We’ve got a good fight on our hands and the weather is going to play a huge part in that,” he added. “It’s been raining and drying over the last couple of days.
“We’re riding this wave right now but it doesn’t mean anything because tomorrow is when the points are scored. But we’re obviously in a great position to fight for victory.”
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The Three Lions are among the favourites to win this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament and you can get your hands on the brand new Nike home and away kits before the first whistle.
