Lewis Hamilton tops the first and only practice session ahead of the British Grand Prix. Andrea Kimi Antonelli and teammate Charles Leclerc followed him. After the last round in Austria, Ferrari will be hoping to get back onto the podium.
With the sun shining over the Silverstone circuit and only getting warmer, not the usual conditions for the British Grand Prix.
Green light on pit lane
Home hero Hamilton was the first driver to get out onto the circuit as practice got underway. Hamilton will be hoping to make it 10 wins at the Silverstone Circuit.
After the early runs, the fastest drivers on track were Hamilton, George Russel, Antonelli, and Isack Hadjar.
McLaren has a special-liveried car heading into the weekend, so the Papaya is gone. They are running a livery in tribute to the team’s first-ever F1 car from 1966.
Car Upgrades
Williams Racing come into this weekend with major upgrades, including a brand new front wing. They are hoping this will bring the car back into the midfield battle with a more stable and reliable car.
There are also some upgrades for McLaren with a modified front brake duct. Ferrari has modified rear brake ducts. Racing Bulls with minor changes across the car, and Haas with a modified rear wing.
On Track Action
As the track temperature rose above 40°C/104°F, the pace heated up as well. All the drivers were pushing, forcing some to push the limits of the circuit, going onto the curb and going wide.
Aston Martin moved on to their qualifying simulations, becoming the first team to do so; Cadillac were quick to follow.
As the half way point of the session hit the top 10 was:
Pierre Gasly struggled to get his car working, radioing: “The car’s very unpredictable, I’m not liking this.” He wasn’t the only driver struggling with Sergio Perez, complaining that his helmet wasn’t fixed after he asked for some vents to be closed.
Nico Hulkenberg was noted for an incident with Liam Lawson after he cut him off on track. The investigation was soon left to the Stewards, who decided not to look further.
Last 10 Minutes
Antonelli put the hammer down to set the fastest lap of the day. However, his lap didn’t stay at the top for long, as Hamilton went 0.2 seconds faster.
Antonelli was put into a Ferrari sandwich with Leclerc going third. The gap between the Ferraris was big, with nearly 0.6 seconds separating the teammates.
Everyone in the session seemed to be calm. With the lack of practice this weekend, a crash in this session could ruin the rest of your weekend. Luckily, everyone kept their cars out of the wall.
As the chequered flag came out, the top 3 stayed the same. Hamilton top of the timesheets, followed by Antonelli and Leclerc.