Portugal Colonial - Russell 'very happy' to start fourth for Mercedes at British GP

The 27-year-old Briton, who is seeking an extension to his Mercedes contract which ends this year, also admitted he was glad to see cooler and overcast weather for qualifying as he had been off the pace previously in warmer conditions.

"I'm very happy because we've been off the pace all weekend," he said.

"I was not expecting to be in the fight for a good position, especially with how strong the Ferraris looked and we always know the McLarens are there.

"In my last lap, the car just really came alive and it was mega strong so to be 20-30 milliseconds behind the front row was a good result."

Russell once again showed the form that has earned him a high reputation in the paddock despite rumours and unconfirmed reports that he may be replaced at Mercedes next season by Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who claimed pole position.

"I am expecting us to be facing a battle from everywhere a bit, to be honest," he added. "I think recent form shows that we're not going to be the strongest in the race pace.

"But it is looking a bit cooler and that's good news for us but it can go any way. Obviously we've got to be alert to it."

Asked what kind of weather he would like to see on Sunday, Russell said: "Anything but sunshine, which is a bit of a shame to say. I was really happy with that. It's been a tough weekend with the pace so it's really good to be up there now."

His team-mate teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli was seventh, although he faces a three-place grid penalty from last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.

Russell's compatriot and Haas rookie Ollie Bearman had a mixed day in which he was handed a 10-place grid penalty for crashing in the pit lane under a red flag, but then wound up eighth fastest in qualifying. He will start 18th on the grid.

"Guys, I'm really, really proud of you all," the 20-year-old said on team radio.

"This car has all the potential, so good job. Glad we could show what we're capable of, and yeah, I'm so sorry about earlier because that's not good enough."

R.J.Fidalgo--PC