With videoMax Verstappen also clocked the fastest time in the first free practice session on the iconic Silverstone circuit. Sergio Pérez was the first attacker of the Dutchman to win the last five grands prix, but that was also almost half a second. Nyck de Vries was creditable eleventh.
On a sunny Silverstone, something that could change later this weekend, British racing fans were treated to plenty of action right from the start. Most drivers came out immediately and they all noticed that there was still little grip on the asphalt. “There is zero traction. It gets worse and worse,” said Max Verstappen, while Esteban Ocon called it “a disaster”. Despite this, Verstappen went straight to the fastest time during a long stint on hard tyres. That said nothing, but the competition on mediums barely came within a second of the World Cup leader.
The other Dutchman, Nyck de Vries, got acquainted with the gravel trap early in the training. After a moment of oversteer in turn 7, he came to a stop backwards, but the driver who is already under pressure at AlphaTauri was able to continue on his own. That was somewhat good news for De Vries, who was testing a large update package. A new rear wing, suspension and the necessary improvements to the floor should help him quickly to his first World Cup points. In the end, De Vries still came to a neat eleventh time, ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda, but also, for example, the great home favorite Lewis Hamilton who had not yet used the softs.
Watch De Vries’ moment
Halfway through practice, the teams screwed the soft tires under the cars and the times went down. Verstappen waited a little longer, but when he also made the switch, he again did not waste any time. The Dutchman who has never won the GP of Great Britain, he was already the best at Silverstone in 2020, but that race had a different name, clocked 1.28.836 and made it 1.28.600 in the final phase . The difference with the rest? Almost half a second. Alex Albon’s P3 in the Williams was also worthy of an honorable mention.
Live blog
14:33
Lunch
The men do something trial startsbefore going to lunch and return by 5:00 PM. I’d love to see you then!
2:30 pm
End of VT1
The flag is waved in front of it end of this first practice session! The drivers will keep their cars intact for the time being Max Verstappen is *of course* back on top. He has just under half a second on Sergio Pérez and the strong Alex Albon. Nick de Vries can, despite a visit to the gravel pit, also look back on a solid training, he finishes eleventh!
14:27
Verstappen goes to 1.28.600 after a good last sector.
2:25 pm
Hamilton just left the track and now Russell is doing the same! They may still be there with a lack of grip.
2:25 pm
It doesn’t take very long before Pérez comes under. He puts him two tenths from Verstappen, who has also come out again. Are we going to see another tightening of the fastest time in the last 5 minutes?
14:22
Albon and Alonso put him on P2 and P3 respectively. Great for the Williams team in particular.
14:19
He shows you how to do it. Verstappen is directly below it in the first sector and the difference only increases: 1.28.836, even with a moment of understeer.
14:17
Pérez is not on the time of both Leclerc and Ocon. P3 now for the Mexican, while Verstappen will warm up his softs.
14:12
Well done, De Vries! On softs he goes to P4, currently also ahead of teammate Tsunoda.
Verstappen is currently in the garage, but will also start on softs soon. Pérez also just comes out for his out lap on soft.
14:03
Moderate, Hamilton and Mercedes. The home favorite puts him in P6 between the two Williams cars. That is one second behind Sainz. ‘Bouncing is pretty bad‘ said Lewis.
Verstappen, meanwhile, continues quietly on the hard compound. No rush.
2:00 PM
Sainz takes half a second off Max’s time: 1.29.357 on the red band.
13:58
While Pérez continues to creep towards Verstappen’s ‘top time’. The difference is still 0.167s, but on this hard tire it is of course not about driving fast times over one lap.
The first drivers go to softs!
13:58
Mercedes gets a warning
The Mercedes team has received a warning. The organization decided to do so because driver Lewis Hamilton appeared too late at a press conference on Thursday at the Grand Prix of Great Britain.
Mercedes used the excuse that Hamilton had many obligations at his home circuit.
As the drivers’ activities are organized by the team on the Thursday before the races, race management thought it appropriate to warn the team and not Hamilton himself.
13:56
About half the field is indoors while we’re doing it halfway point of this training. Verstappen just drives out of the pit lane again, still with the white band.
13:53
Pérez goes to P3 with an improvement on the hard tyre. The Mexican drove fine to this same third place in Austria, but he has already failed to reach Q3 in four consecutive qualifying sessions. Have a good Saturday, there works Checo so in the first place.
13:48
A ‘disaster’ (disaster) Ocon calls the lack of grip, especially in the slower corners. We hear a lot of drivers about it.
13:46
Sainz moves to second fastest with an improvement. That is still a second behind Verstappen, who clocked his time on a harder tire.
13:41
De Vries in the gravel pit
De Vries briefly provides yellow in the second sector! He’s on a flying lap, then gets oversteer and comes to a stop backwards in the gravel. The Dutchman gets him off his spot again.
13:41
At Sargeant they seem to have bigger problems. The American has now stepped out and the team is busy with the Williams.
13:39
“There is zero traction. It’s getting worse and worse.’ Was signed, Max Verstappen.
Result, position and program
View the results of this year’s grands prix, the position in the general classification and the program for the rest of the season here.
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