Lewis Hamilton has set the pace in the first practice session of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, marking an encouraging start to his home race weekend and his first time topping a practice session this season. The Ferrari driver, in his inaugural Silverstone outing in Ferrari red, clocked a fastest lap time of 1:26.892, edging out McLaren's Lando Norris by a mere 0.023 seconds. Oscar Piastri, also in a McLaren, finished third, 0.150 seconds behind Hamilton.
The session took place under warm, sunny, and windy conditions, with track temperatures around 38 degrees Celsius and air temperature at 22 degrees. Most teams began the session using medium tires, while Aston Martin and Williams opted for hard compounds. Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls complained about traffic early on after encountering Arvid Lindblad on track. Lindblad, a 17-year-old, made his F1 weekend debut, stepping in for Yuki Tsunoda in the Red Bull. Alpine Reserve Driver Paul Aron also participated in the session, driving Nico Hulkenberg's Kick Sauber.
Throughout the practice, several British drivers took turns at the top of the leaderboard, including Hamilton, Norris, and George Russell. Ultimately, Hamilton secured the top spot, followed closely by Norris. Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari, finished fourth, with Russell rounding out the top five.
Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, finished the session in tenth place, more than half a second behind Hamilton. He reported handling issues with his Red Bull car throughout the session. "Unbelievable," Verstappen said over the team radio, expressing his frustration. Both Racing Bulls drivers, Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson, outpaced Verstappen, finishing sixth and eighth respectively.
There were a few incidents during the session. Pierre Gasly spun his Alpine at Copse corner, managing to continue with flat-spotted tires. Gabriel Bortoleto also had a spin, managing a 720-degree rotation at Copse.
Hamilton's performance in FP1 has fueled optimism among his fans, who hope to see him contend for victory at Silverstone. Hamilton holds the record for the most wins at Silverstone with nine. Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle noted Hamilton's extensive knowledge of the Silverstone circuit and how that could give him extra confidence.
Looking ahead, the British Grand Prix promises more exciting action. The weather forecast suggests potential showers for Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race.
