Lewis Hamilton thrilled fans by securing the fastest time in Friday’s first practice session at the British Grand Prix, edging out fellow British driver Lando Norris in a tight battle. The nine-time British GP winner clocked a 1:26.892 lap, narrowly beating Norris by 0.023 seconds, with Oscar Piastri completing the top three times at Silverstone.
The session featured new liveries, fresh Pirelli tyres, and some new faces on the grid, including Arvid Lindblad making his Formula 1 debut in the Red Bull RB21, replacing Yuki Tsunoda, while Paul Aron joined Sauber for FP1 as part of a loan from Alpine. The early running saw Esteban Ocon lead the field out, while Hamilton acknowledged the fans with a wave, many spotting him in Ferrari’s signature red for the first time this weekend.
Early Session Developments and Rising Star Performances
Lando Norris very quickly moved to the front with a 1:28.6, placing him roughly half a second ahead of Hamilton in the early stages. Fernando Alonso was third fastest while evaluating Aston Martin’s upgraded car against teammate Lance Stroll’s older version. As the session continued, Pierre Gasly experienced some difficulties, losing control at the final corner and later spinning at Stowe, describing the incident as,
Absolutely lost it.
—Pierre Gasly, Alpine Driver
Max Verstappen, running Red Bull’s latest floor design, also encountered issues, stuck behind George Russell on track at one point. Verstappen commented on his car’s handling weaknesses:
I don’t know, it just doesn’t turn at low speed and then in high speed, it’s either big snaps [or] piles of oversteer,
—Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Driver
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc began showcasing strong pace for Ferrari, going quickest with a time of 1:27.0 on soft tyres, outpacing both Piastri and Norris by notable margins. The session also included a traffic jam moment for Paul Aron, who apologized, stating:
My bad, there’s a big mess here in traffic.
—Paul Aron, Sauber FP1 Driver
Mid-Session Shifts and Technical Challenges
The middle portion of the hour-long practice saw fluctuating positions at the top. George Russell briefly led, followed by Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, with Charles Leclerc maintaining competitive lap times. Carlos Sainz’s performance was interrupted by a kerb incident at Copse corner, after which his Williams team examined his car’s floor for damage. The Williams drivers, including Alexander Albon, focused their attention on race simulation data rather than outright speed.
Hamilton encountered traffic during his first flying lap of the soft tyre run, with race engineer Riccardo Adami advising him:
It was a good lap up to there [encountering traffic].
—Riccardo Adami, Lewis Hamilton Race Engineer
Although initially in 12th, Hamilton recovered swiftly to retake the fastest time with a 1:26.8 on his second attempt, pushing McLaren drivers Norris and Piastri down to second and third respectively.
Closing Stages of FP1 and Emerging Standouts
In the last 20 minutes, Leclerc briefly led with a slim margin over Russell and Piastri, while Hamilton’s pace ensured he stayed atop the standings. Hamilton also demonstrated aggressive racecraft by overtaking Russell into Stowe corner during the session’s closing minutes. Arvid Lindblad, making his debut FP1 appearance, finished 14th, a half-second behind Verstappen, while Paul Aron ranked 17th as the faster of the two Sauber drivers. Gabriel Bortoleto concluded 20th, the only driver not to put in a timed lap on the soft tyres, after a significant spin at Copse corner damaged his tyres.
Final FP1 Results from the British Grand Prix
1. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:26.892
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – +0.023
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.150
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.203
5. George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.271
6. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – +0.325
7. Alexander Albon (Williams) – +0.412
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – +0.459
9. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +0.475
10. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – +0.540
11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +0.786
12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – +0.952
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +1.017
14. Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull Racing) – +1.066
15. Esteban Ocon (Haas F1 Team) – +1.165
16. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – +1.194
17. Paul Aron (Sauber) – +1.250
18. Oliver Bearman (Haas F1 Team) – +1.255
19. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +1.440
20. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – +1.505
Implications for the Rest of the Weekend at Silverstone
Lewis Hamilton’s strong showing in FP1 at Silverstone signals a promising start to his home race, suggesting that Ferrari is competitive on their own turf early in the weekend. The close margins between the top drivers indicate a tightly contested battle to come in qualifying and the race itself, with McLaren drivers Norris and Piastri also demonstrating solid pace. The issues faced by some frontrunners, including Verstappen’s handling concerns and Gasly’s errors, highlight challenges that teams will need to address before Saturday’s qualifying session.
The debutants Arvid Lindblad and Paul Aron gained valuable track time, potentially shaping their future roles in Formula 1. Meanwhile, established stars like Charles Leclerc maintain pressure at the top, setting the stage for an intense grand prix at Silverstone as teams continue adapting to new tyre compounds and technical upgrades ahead of the race.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Lewis Hamilton vegan?
A. Race car driver Lewis Hamilton openly supports veganism. In addition, he invests in plant-based businesses.
Q. Why did Lewis Hamilton leave F1?
A. He wanted to continue driving for a longer period than we could agree to. He aimed to further his career with Ferrari, which is a big challenge for him. Besides racing, he’s still influencing the sport and promoting diversity.
Q. Is Lewis Hamilton a vegan?
A. Lewis Hamilton, who has won the Formula 1 championship seven times, has shared how a vegan diet helped his health. Since he started eating only plant-based foods in 2017, he says he feels fewer mood changes and has fewer health problems that bothered him before.
Q. Why did Lewis Hamilton leave?
A. Hamilton is said to have switched from Mercedes to Ferrari because Ferrari promised him a longer contract and a higher salary. In addition, he had been struggling to win races, with no victories in 2022 or 2023, and he wanted a fresh start with the new team.
