Silverstone, England — Lewis Hamilton impressed fans at the British Grand Prix by recording the fastest time in the opening practice session, hinting at a potential resurgence in his performance at his home circuit. The seven-time world champion has not finished off the podium at Silverstone since a fourth-place finish marred by a tire blowout in 2013, but he approached this weekend with caution as he seeks to end a lengthy podium drought.
During Thursday’s press conference, Hamilton expressed uncertainty about his competitiveness, noting that he is currently navigating one of his toughest stretches with Ferrari. Despite this, he found himself in a tight race for the top spot in Friday’s practice session, exchanging fastest laps with teammates and rivals including Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and George Russell.
Hamilton’s time of 1 minute, 26.892 seconds edged out Norris, who recently celebrated a victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, by just 0.023 seconds. This marks the first time Hamilton led a practice session as a Ferrari driver, which may bolster the confidence of his supporters at Silverstone.
Norris was not the only McLaren driver to shine; his teammate Oscar Piastri finished third, while Leclerc, who also contended for top times, placed fourth. Russell, driving for Mercedes, rounded out the top five, showcasing a competitive field that included both established and emerging talents.
The Racing Bulls team continued its trend of strong performances in practice, with Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson finishing sixth and eighth, respectively. Williams driver Alex Albon placed seventh, splitting the two Racing Bulls with a solid performance. Meanwhile, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli grabbed ninth, just trailing his teammate Russell.
Defending champion Max Verstappen faced challenges during the session, finishing 10th. The Red Bull driver expressed frustration over the balance of his RB21, particularly in both low- and high-speed corners. He was joined by Formula 2 race winner Arvid Lindblad, who was making his Formula 1 debut and concluded the session in 14th place.
Alpine’s Paul Aron, stepping in for Nico Hulkenberg, also made his F1 weekend debut, finishing ahead of several prominent names. Several other drivers encountered difficulties, with Gabriel Bortoleto notably spinning at Copse, while Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz also had their share of close calls at the same corner.
Among other notable performances, Lance Stroll placed 12th, just behind his Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso. Stroll’s session was marred by a brief spin at the Village turn, highlighting the challenges drivers faced throughout the day.
With the practice sessions setting the stage for the weekend, fans eagerly await the qualifying rounds to see if Hamilton and the rest of the field can maintain their momentum or if the balance issues some drivers encountered will affect their race strategies. As Silverstone gears up for more intense action, the pressure is on for all competitors.