Jolyon Palmer showed superb car control during today's (Friday) tricky wet GP2 qualifying session at Silverstone to record his best ever result with third, and finish as the top Brit on home soil.

In difficult conditions and with poor visibility, the 21-year-old - one of three British drivers competing this weekend - put in a great late lap to secure a second row start for tomorrow's 29-lap Feature Race.

After showing strong pace early in the session, Jolyon was lying ninth at the halfway point before a hint of a dry line began to emerge around the 5.891km track. Jolyon had then moved up to fifth before the red flags came out as team-mate Marcus Ericsson and Addax's Johnny Cecotto ground to a halt on track.

The session resumed with 10 minutes remaining with Jolyon dropping to P11 with Davide Valsecchi also stopping on track, bringing out the yellow flags and forcing the rest of the pack to ease off.

In the closing stages though, Jolyon mastered the spray to post a best of 2:02.872s to finish just behind second-place Cecotto and pole-sitter Fabio Leimer.

Speaking afterwards Jolyon said: "After completing only one flying lap in practice, I didn't really know what my pace was going to be like, or anyone else's, so I'm pretty happy to finish P3. The conditions were getting better, and I was always up there before the red flag I think between P2 and P6, I kept being told on the radio, and then after the red flag I didn't get a lap in at all with all the traffic and yellow flags and all sorts, so the last lap I just did a tidy lap, no mistakes, and picked it up to P3."

Tomorrow's Feature Race gets underway at 14:40 (local time) with full coverage on Jolyon's official website and Sky's F1 channel.

GP2 Silverstone, qualifying results:

1. F Leimer, Racing, 2:01.889s
2. J Cecotto, Addax, +0.915s
3. J Palmer, iSport, +0.983s
4. S Coletti, Scuderia, +1.115s
5. E Gutierrez, Lotus GP, +1.369s
6. J Calado, Lotus GP, +1.385s
7. R Haryanto, Carlin, +1.509s
8. M Chilton, Carlin, +1.534s
9. L Razia, Arden, +1.664s
10. G VD Garde, Caterham, +1.676s