LONDON - Lewis Hamilton led Valtteri Bottas atop the timesheets for final practice at the Formula One 70th Anniversary Grand Prix on Saturday.
Hamilton posted a best 1 minute 26.621 seconds around the 5.891-kilometre Silverstone circuit which is hosting a second successive race after the British Grand Prix last week.
The British driver won his home race for a third successive season triumph to move 30 points clear in the standings from Bottas, who was 0.163 seconds behind ahead of qualifying later Saturday.
That again looks like being a straight shoot-out between the Mercedes pair for pole position on Sunday though Lando Norris of McLaren and Nico Huelkenberg, deputizing for Sergio Perez in a Racing Point, produced strong final practice sessions.
On Friday the governing FIA fined Racing Point and docked them 15 points in the constructors' championship for illegally copying rear brake ducts but they can compete with their car unchanged.
Perez is missing out for the second consecutive weekend following a positive test for the coronavirus.
Lance Stroll was fifth in the second Racing Point with Charles Leclerc sixth for Ferrari, ahead of Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon.
dpa