Hamilton fastest in first British Grand Prix practice, Norris second
Hamilton, 40, on a career low sequence of 13 races without a podium finish but a nine-time home race winner, lapped a sunny Silverstone with a best effort of 1:26.892 seconds.
McLaren's Lando Norris, favourite for a first home win on Sunday, was 0.023 slower but ahead of championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri in third and 0.150 off the pace.
Piastri leads Norris by 15 points with Silverstone marking the season's midpoint.
Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc was fourth with Mercedes George Russell fifth.
It was Hamilton's first time at a grand prix on home soil in Ferrari's red colours. The team have yet to win this season, the only top four outfit yet to do so.
Lindblad, replacing Yuki Tsunoda for the session only, ended up 14th fastest with a time only half a second behind that of teammate and reigning champion Max Verstappen, who was 10th.
Red Bull had to seek special dispensation from the governing FIA for the Anglo-Swedish driver with Indian heritage to be allowed to drive while under the age limit of 18. Only one other driver had debuted so young at a grand prix weekend and that was Verstappen.
Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto spun 360 at speed but without mishap.
Estonian Paul Aron lapped for Sauber and was 17th.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
7 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Fan favourite Norris on top in second British GP practice
Fan favourite Lando Norris lapped fastest in British Grand Prix practice on Friday as an army of McLaren Formula One fans, many of them cheering from a sold-out 'Landostand', got what they wanted to see. The Briton was top of the second session with a best effort of 1:25.816 seconds, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc 0.222 slower and Lewis Hamilton 0.301 off the pace after going quickest in the first practice. McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri was fourth fastest with Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen fifth and Mercedes Kimi Antonelli, who will have a three-place grid drop for Friday's race, sixth. Lance Stroll was seventh for Aston Martin with Mercedes' George Russell eighth. Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar was ninth and teammate Liam Lawson 10th. Hamilton, last year's race winner, had raised hopes of more home heroics with the fastest lap of 1:26.892 in first practice while 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad looked strong in his debut session for Red Bull. Hamilton is on a career-low run of 13 races without a podium finish but is a record nine-time home race winner and hoping to end the drought. The seven-time world champion is racing at home in Ferrari's red colours for the first time. The Italian team have yet to win this season, the only top-four outfit yet to do so. Hamilton had not led a practice session this year before Friday, though he was fastest in Chinese sprint qualifying. Norris, winner in Austria last weekend, was 0.023 slower in session one with Piastri third.
TimesLIVE
11 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Hamilton fastest in first British Grand Prix practice, Norris second
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton raised hopes of more British Grand Prix heroics with the fastest lap in first practice on Friday, while 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad looked strong in his debut session for Red Bull. Hamilton, 40, on a career low sequence of 13 races without a podium finish but a nine-time home race winner, lapped a sunny Silverstone with a best effort of 1:26.892 seconds. McLaren's Lando Norris, favourite for a first home win on Sunday, was 0.023 slower but ahead of championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri in third and 0.150 off the pace. Piastri leads Norris by 15 points with Silverstone marking the season's midpoint. Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc was fourth with Mercedes George Russell fifth. It was Hamilton's first time at a grand prix on home soil in Ferrari's red colours. The team have yet to win this season, the only top four outfit yet to do so. Lindblad, replacing Yuki Tsunoda for the session only, ended up 14th fastest with a time only half a second behind that of teammate and reigning champion Max Verstappen, who was 10th. Red Bull had to seek special dispensation from the governing FIA for the Anglo-Swedish driver with Indian heritage to be allowed to drive while under the age limit of 18. Only one other driver had debuted so young at a grand prix weekend and that was Verstappen. Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto spun 360 at speed but without mishap. Estonian Paul Aron lapped for Sauber and was 17th.
IOL News
12 hours ago
- IOL News
Trio of British drivers aim for Silverstone F1 Grand Prix glory
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton arrives at Silverstone on a scooter ahead of the Formula One British Grand Prix. Image: Ben Stansall / AFP The trio of British drivers in the upper echelon of the Formula One paddock will be looking for a win at their home race at the British Grand Prix this weekend. Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and George Russell are all looking to seize victory at Silverstone, each for their own reasons. There are four British drivers on the grid, including Oliver Bearman, but a win at Silverstone is a bit too unrealistic for the Haas driver. A top 10 finish would be a victory for the 20-year-old. Hamilton's earth-shattering move to Ferrari at the end of last season has since been overshadowed by Ferrari's less than decent performances since the start of the season. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are yet to taste victory this season. It's been a bumpy start to the road for Hamilton, who's had to adjust to life in a Ferrari. Hamilton hasn't won since the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in 2024, and is looking to prove he's still world championship material in a Ferrari. Norris may be on the highest wave of confidence between the trio, having come off a win at Spielberg in Austria last weekend and closing the gap in the world championship fight with his teammate Oscar Piastri. The smiley-faced Brit showed real composure all of last weekend and looked far more in control than the driver, who crashed into the rear end of Piastri in Canada. Besides the win last week, Norris also took the victory at home last season, and says the Silverstone race is more special than Monaco. In 2023, Norris finished second at Silverstone. His ability to convert the pole position to a win last week showed the British racer's maturity as a driver, having mustered up the focus for the 71 laps at the Red Bull Ring. The win last week put Norris just 15 points behind Piastri, and will look to take another victory at Silverstone to hopefully jump in to the lead for the first time this season. Arguably the man with the most weight on his shoulders in the paddock right now, George Russell, needs a home race victory more than any other British driver. For the simple reason that Russell does not have a contract for next season. This may well be Russell's last race at home for Mercedes. He's been consistent with the podium finishes during the first quarter of the season, but things took a downhill slide after that. Russell took the first win of this season at Canada - a win he desperately needed to show Toto Wolff he's still worthy of the senior seat.
