F1 free GP Silverstone: Hamilton 1st ahead of McLarens, Leclerc 4th

The Formula 1 weekend at Silverstone opens with a smile for Ferrari and especially for Lewis Hamilton. At his home circuit, the seven-time world champion signed the fastest time in the first free practice session, closing with an excellent 1’26″892 and giving the Maranello-based Scuderia an encouraging start. This is the first time since driving for Ferrari that Hamilton has managed to finish ahead of everyone in an official session, a result that thrilled the British fans in the stands.

Despite the satisfaction at Ferrari’s home, the gap on the rivals remains minimal. In fact, Lando Norris, in the McLaren, finished just 23 thousandths behind Hamilton, while World Championship leader Oscar Piastri was 150 thousandths behind. Slightly further behind was Charles Leclerc, fourth at 203 thousandths, who showed good race pace despite some initial difficulties due to adjustments on the front wing of his single-seater.

Behind the top four was George Russell in the Mercedes, followed by a surprising Isack Hadjar who shone at the wheel of the Racing Bulls. Further behind, however, were Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, ninth and 10th respectively, with the defending champion not finding the right feeling with his Red Bull, despite the updates brought by the team.

The early stages of FP1 were very balanced, with several drivers taking turns in the lead. In the second part, with the switch to soft tires, the Ferraris and McLarens monopolized the top of the standings, also showing good consistency on the race pace.