Formula 1 British Grand Prix 2018 qualifying results: Lewis Hamilton claims pole; Daniel Ricciardo sixth

Lewis Hamilton will start from pole position at the British Grand Prix for a fourth year in a row after qualifying fastest on Sunday morning (AEST), while Australia's Daniel Ricciardo qualified sixth fastest.

Briton Hamilton has triumphed at Silverstone in each of the last four seasons - from the front on the last three occasions - and he will have every opportunity to do so again in 2018.

Having gone fastest in two of three practice sessions and then again in Q2, the defending Formula One champion pipped title rival Sebastian Vettel to pole.

Hamilton will start from the front for the sixth time at Silverstone and he now has a landmark 50 poles for Mercedes.

MORE: Ricciardo: The English are doing too well in sport | British Grand Prix 2018: Results, standings, how to watch, session times, form guide

Vettel did well to be in the picture on Sunday after completing just eight laps of FP3 due to a neck complaint.

The Ferrari man was fastest through Q1 and then pipped Hamilton on the first flying lap of the decisive third session, but the Mercedes star - one point behind Vettel in the drivers' championship standings - responded by posting the latest in a series of track-record times.

BREAKING: Lewis Hamilton storms to a sixth pole in Britain - his 50th for Mercedes! The gap to Vettel? Fittingly, it's 0.044! #BritishGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/OPwF7NZH9s

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 7, 2018

Vettel had no answer and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen could only qualify third fastest.

Valtteri Bottas is one place further back, while Max Verstappen's prediction that Red Bull would not be "super competitive" bore true as he and Ricciardo came in fifth and sixth.

Gap to P2... just 0.044s fot the man in car number #44!

Take another look at that pole position lap 👀#BritishGP 🇬🇧 #F1 pic.twitter.com/VZlC4RCKdd

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 7, 2018

2018 BRITISH GRAND PRIX: QUALIFYING RESULTS