Hamilton leads at Silverstone: McLaren lurking in the first free practice

Hamilton Sets the Pace at Silverstone

British driver Lewis Hamilton, now with Ferrari, led the first free practice session of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, demonstrating solid performance on the track. Hamilton set a time of 1:26.892, setting the pace for the race weekend. The Friday session saw Hamilton beat compatriot Lando Norris (McLaren) by just 23 thousandths of a second. Championship leader Oscar Piastri (McLaren) was in third place, 150 thousandths of a second behind Hamilton’s time. Hamilton, in his first season with Ferrari after his successful stint with Mercedes, completed 26 laps of the 5.891-meter circuit, showing good pace from the start. Spanish drivers Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Carlos Sainz (Williams) finished eleventh and thirteenth, respectively. Alonso, with two previous victories at Silverstone, was 786 milliseconds behind Hamilton. Sainz, who won at this circuit in 2022, recorded a time just over a second behind the leader. The session went without major setbacks, although there were some minor incidents, including spins without consequences at the Copse curve. Young F2 drivers also participated, such as Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull) and Paul Aron (Kick Sauber). Max Verstappen (Red Bull) was in tenth position, 540 milliseconds behind Hamilton. The championship continues to be led by Oscar Piastri with 216 points, followed by Lando Norris with 201. The second free practice will take place this afternoon.