Lewis Hamilton sets season first to lead British 1-2 in opening salvo at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton gave his legion of fans reason to believe he could be in contention for another British Grand Prix victory after topping opening practice at Silverstone.

For the first time this season, and in his debut year with Ferrari, the seven-time F1 champion led a practice session, delivering a soft-tyre lap of 1:26.892s.

Hamilton finished narrowly ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris by 0.023s, with the latter's team-mate 0.150s off the pace around the Northamptonshire circuit that was bathed in sunshine, with temperatures a comfortable 23 degrees Celsius.

Hamilton, who holds the record for most victories at a race track with nine at this circuit, is the seventh different driver to lead the way in the last eight FP1s overall.

The opening salvos were fascinating, as fastest laps were traded amongst the leading drivers, with Piastri, Norris, Hamilton and Mercedes' George Russell all taking turns at the top of the timesheet on the medium compound tyres.

For the event this season, Pirelli has moved a step softer compared to 12 months ago, meaning the yellow-striped rubber on this occasion was the soft compound last year. 

Fifteen minutes into the session, it appeared as if Red Bull's Max Verstappen would have his turn after purpling the first sector, only to lose out in the final sector, and clock the fourth fastest time at that stage.

After Pierre Gasly produced a wonderful, but hair-raising 360-degree pirouette into and out of Copse in his Alpine, Russell and Piastri then traded quick laps before the surprise package of Liam Lawson edged ahead by 0.026s of 1:27.676s.

It was a short-lived time, however, as team-mate Isack Hadjar then took over with a lap 0.174s faster than the New Zealander, who also found himself behind Leclerc and Verstappen before an element of long-running unfolded.

After a typical Verstappen complaint of his car failing to turn at low speed, snapping and having "a pile of understeer", the trading of fastest laps continued following a switch to soft tyres.

In a matter of seconds, first Norris, then Piastri, and then Leclerc all clocked the fastest time, the latter with a 1:27.095s. Russell posted a purple middle sector but finished 0.068s down.

Soon after, Stake's Gabriel Bortoleto was fortunate to emerge unscathed from a horrific spin out of Copse as his car did two full 360-degree turns over a kerb and the grass. His radio message after was an element of cool.

Another round of trading continued as Piastri went quickest, followed by Norris and then Hamilton with a time of 1:26.892s, edging ahead of his fellow Briton by 0.023s.

After Esteban Ocon complained of his brake pedal cracking, necessitating an obvious return to the pits, Williams' Alex Albon purpled the first sector but only ended up seventh at the end of his lap, four-tenths of a second adrift.

Hamilton's lap several minutes earlier was enough to see him see out the session in front, followed by Norris and Piastri, with Leclerc fourth quickest, 0.203s down.

Russell had to settle for fifth followed by Hadjar, Albon, Lawson, Kimi Antonelli in his Mercedes, and then Verstappen in 10th, 0.540s off the pace.

Verstappen's team-mate for the session, F3 racer Arvid Lindblad in his maiden FP1 session, was 14th quickest, a second down.

For Stake, on his F1 debut, Alpine reserve Paul Aron was 17th, 1.250s down. Bortoleto's spin left him 1.505s adrift.