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The Mercedes driver, who looks a favorite for
pole position later on Saturday, lapped the cold, wet and
windswept Silverstone circuit with a best time of one minute
28.063 seconds.
That was significantly faster than Friday's best of 1:28.496 and
the quickest yet at the former World War Two airfield.
Ferrari's championship leader Sebastian Vettel was second
fastest, a mere 0.032 slower than the Briton, with Hamilton's
team mate Valtteri Bottas third on the timesheets and Ferrari's
Kimi Raikkonen fourth.
Renault's Nico Hulkenberg was a promising fifth.
Bottas will collect a five-place grid penalty after qualifying,
due to an unscheduled gearbox change, as will Red Bull's
Australian Daniel Ricciardo for the same reason.
McLaren's Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, collected a massive
30-place drop for various engine penalties, ensuring the
Spaniard starts at the back -- a familiar experience for the
double champion this season.
The penalties look like turning qualifying into a straight
battle between Hamilton and the Ferraris in a session likely to
be overcast but with a decreasing likelihood of rain after
steady morning drizzle.
A pole for three-times world champion Hamilton would put him
just one away from Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 68
and come as a timely boost after two races off the podium that
have left him 20 points behind Vettel.
Pole is not crucial at Silverstone, however, although every
winner at the circuit since 2000 has started from fourth place
or higher. Hamilton has taken the top slot for the last two
seasons.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by John O'Brien)
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