Seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton laid down an early marker at home by topping the only practice session of the British Grand Prix weekend, clocking a fastest lap of 1:29.260 for Scuderia Ferrari at Silverstone Circuit.
Hamilton finished just 0.213 seconds clear of Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, while Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc completed the top three, 0.599s off the pace.
Speaking on Thursday ahead of the weekend, Hamilton had already highlighted how unique Silverstone could be under the current regulations.
“I think this is going to be the most unprecedented weekend in terms of the power deployment,” Hamilton said.
“All the drivers are talking in the drivers’ chat about how poor the power deployment is going to be through this track. We run out of battery power, there’s only a few corners to charge the engine.”
He went on to explain that the deficit at Silverstone could be twice as big compared to other circuits, where lap times have already been two to three seconds slower than the previous generation of cars.
With the sprint format in place this weekend, Friday’s hour-long session was the only opportunity for teams to gather setup data before Sprint Qualifying later in the day.
Hamilton was the first driver to hit the circuit as the green light signalled the start of running, immediately giving the home crowd plenty to cheer about.
For much of the opening half-hour, teams focused on longer runs and tyre evaluation, with Hamilton steadily building pace. With 25 minutes remaining, the Brit turned a four-tenths deficit into a two-tenths advantage on the hard compound, posting a 1:30.521.
As the final 12 minutes approached, the expected switch to the red-marked soft tyres began.
George Russell was among the first to bolt on the quicker compound for Mercedes, briefly moving to the top before teammate Antonelli produced an impressive 1:29.473, nearly half a second quicker.
But it was Hamilton who had the final say, extracting even more from the Ferrari to go two tenths faster and seal top spot in front of his home fans.
Russell ended the session fourth for Mercedes, ahead of Oscar Piastri for McLaren in fifth. Max Verstappen was sixth for Oracle Red Bull Racing, with Lando Norris seventh for McLaren. Isack Hadjar placed eighth for Red Bull, while Nico Hülkenberg was ninth for Audi and Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten for Racing Bulls.
With practice now complete, attention turns immediately to Sprint Qualifying, where the grid will be set for Saturday’s sprint race.
