Lando Norris set the pace in the opening practice session for the British Grand Prix, demonstrating impressive form on home soil. The McLaren driver clocked a fastest lap of 1’27.420 over 26 laps, setting the benchmark for the rest of the field at Silverstone.
Lance Stroll followed closely in second place, just 0.134 seconds behind Norris. The Aston Martin driver completed 22 laps, showing competitive speed and positioning his team as a strong contender for the weekend.
Oscar Piastri continued McLaren’s strong showing by finishing third, 0.211 seconds off the pace set by his teammate. The young Australian completed 18 laps, solidifying McLaren’s strong start to the British GP weekend.
Max Verstappen, the championship leader from Red Bull Racing, was fourth fastest. His best time of 1’27.729 was 0.309 seconds slower than Norris, but with 25 laps completed, Verstappen gathered valuable data to refine his setup for the remaining sessions.
George Russell, representing Mercedes, rounded out the top five with a time of 1’27.738, just 0.009 seconds behind Verstappen. Completing 26 laps, Russell showcased the competitiveness of the Mercedes W15 on the Silverstone circuit.
Fernando Alonso put in a solid performance for Aston Martin, finishing sixth with a time of 1’27.794. The veteran driver completed 27 laps, indicating strong race pace and consistency.
Lewis Hamilton, a crowd favorite and seven-time world champion, was seventh fastest. His best lap of 1’27.858 was 0.438 seconds adrift of the leading time. With 26 laps under his belt, Hamilton’s focus will be on making further improvements ahead of qualifying.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were eighth and ninth respectively. Leclerc’s best lap was 1’27.903, while Sainz clocked in at 1’27.925. Both drivers completed a solid number of laps, with Leclerc doing 26 and Sainz 27, as they worked on their setups.
Esteban Ocon completed the top ten for Alpine with a time of 1’27.974, 0.554 seconds off the fastest lap. His 24 laps provided the team with essential data to optimize their performance.
Further down the order, Nico Hulkenberg of Haas set a time of 1’28.082 to place 11th. Valtteri Bottas in the Sauber was 12th, with a lap of 1’28.254. Daniel Ricciardo, back in the Red Bull, managed 13th place with a time of 1’28.477.
Oliver Bearman in Haas and Zhou Guanyu in Sauber took 14th and 15th spots respectively. Bearman’s best lap was 1’28.536, while Zhou posted a 1’28.590. Alexander Albon, driving for Williams, was 16th with a time of 1’28.649.
Jack Doohan, filling in at Alpine, finished 17th with a lap of 1’28.735. Franco Colapinto in the Williams and Isack Hadjar in the Red Bull were 18th and 19th, with times of 1’29.078 and 1’29.270 respectively. Yuki Tsunoda, who managed only 5 laps, rounded out the timing sheets with a best time of 1’29.864.
As the teams prepare for the remaining practice sessions and qualifying, the competition remains fierce. With Silverstone’s high-speed corners and technical sections, optimizing car setups will be crucial for success. The next race in Silverstone marks the end of a triple-header, setting the stage for an intense and thrilling weekend in Formula 1.
Opening Practice Results:
- Lando Norris (McLaren-Mercedes) – 26 laps, 1’27.420, 242.594 km/h
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin AMR24) – 22 laps, 1’27.554, +0.134, 242.223 km/h
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren-Mercedes) – 18 laps, 1’27.631, +0.211, 242.010 km/h
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT RB20) – 25 laps, 1’27.729, +0.309, 241.739 km/h
- George Russell (Mercedes W15) – 26 laps, 1’27.738, +0.318, 241.715 km/h
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin AMR24) – 27 laps, 1’27.794, +0.374, 241.560 km/h
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W15) – 26 laps, 1’27.858, +0.438, 241.384 km/h
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 26 laps, 1’27.903, +0.483, 241.261 km/h
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 27 laps, 1’27.925, +0.505, 241.201 km/h
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine A524) – 24 laps, 1’27.974, +0.554, 241.066 km/h
- Nico Hulkenberg (Haas-Ferrari VF-24) – 22 laps, 1’28.082, +0.662, 240.771 km/h
- Valtteri Bottas (Sauber-Ferrari C44) – 26 laps, 1’28.254, +0.834, 240.301 km/h
- Daniel Ricciardo (RB-Honda RBPT) – 24 laps, 1’28.477, +1.057, 239.696 km/h
- Oliver Bearman (Haas-Ferrari VF-24) – 25 laps, 1’28.536, +1.116, 239.536 km/h
- Zhou Guanyu (Sauber-Ferrari C44) – 24 laps, 1’28.590, +1.170, 239.390 km/h
- Alexander Albon (Williams FW46) – 25 laps, 1’28.649, +1.229, 239.231 km/h
- Jack Doohan (Alpine A524) – 22 laps, 1’28.735, +1.315, 238.999 km/h
- Franco Colapinto (Williams FW46) – 24 laps, 1’29.078, +1.658, 238.078 km/h
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT RB20) – 15 laps, 1’29.270, +1.850, 237.566 km/h
- Yuki Tsunoda (RB-Honda RBPT) – 5 laps, 1’29.864, +2.444, 235.996 km/h
