British GP: Lewis Hamilton Tops Practice One Ahead of Lando Norris

Lewis Hamilton commenced his home British Grand Prix weekend with Ferrari impressively, setting the fastest time in the first practice session, outpacing both McLarens.

Hamilton, a nine-time winner at Silverstone who is yet to secure a podium finish for Ferrari halfway into the season, quickly found his form on the circuit where he has celebrated more victories than any other. He established an early benchmark of 1:26.892, finishing just 0.023 seconds ahead of fellow British driver Lando Norris.

This achievement marks the first time this season that Hamilton has topped a practice session.

Commenting on the challenging conditions, Sky Sports F1`s Martin Brundle noted the car`s apparent performance in the wind and Hamilton`s extensive experience at Silverstone. “The car is quite good in these windy conditions,” Brundle observed amidst the warm, sunny, yet typically blustery Silverstone weather. “We saw cars spin off at 180mph. I think Lewis knows how to deal with all of that and the Ferrari does too… That knowledge and understanding Hamilton has got here gives him extra confidence.”

Championship leader Oscar Piastri secured third place in the second McLaren, 0.150 seconds behind Hamilton. Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari, indicating the Scuderia is building on its improved performance from the previous week in Austria.

George Russell finished fifth for Mercedes, almost three-tenths off the pace. Meanwhile, championship leader Max Verstappen had a difficult start, ending up only 10th for Red Bull after reporting persistent handling issues with his RB21 during the session.

“Unbelievable,” commented Verstappen at the session`s conclusion, reflecting on his struggle to control the car through the corners.

Red Bull has introduced new components to their car`s floor to enhance downforce, essential for Silverstone`s high-speed corners. The team will need to refine Verstappen`s setup to improve the car`s performance for the crucial qualifying and race sessions later in the weekend.

Notably, both cars from Red Bull`s sister team, Racing Bulls, finished ahead of Verstappen, with Isack Hadjar in sixth and Liam Lawson in eighth. Kimi Antonelli placed ninth in the second Mercedes.

With Yuki Tsunoda sidelined for the opening session, Red Bull`s 17-year-old British protege and F2 driver, Arvid Lindblad, took the wheel for his P1 debut on home soil.

Lindblad completed 22 laps and finished 14th fastest in his first top-level outing, a respectable performance just half a second behind four-time world champion Verstappen.

The session saw dramatic moments, particularly at the high-speed Copse corner (around 180 mph), where Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) both experienced high-speed spins through the right-hander but managed to continue.

Gasly spun 360 degrees after losing control over the exit kerb. Bortoleto spun twice, briefly touching the inside grass before recovering and returning to the pits.

Lance Stroll also had a moment off the track in his Aston Martin.

Estonian Paul Aron, an Alpine junior driving for Sauber on loan, also made his P1 debut, finishing 17th. Bortoleto was classified last after his spin.

British GP Practice One Timesheet