14/07/2017
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening practice session, the air temperature is 14 degrees C, while the track temperature is 21 degrees. It's overcast and 'cool', but not in the modern sense, then again this is Britain... in July. Risk of rain is 10%.
Sadly, it appears to be a case of enjoy it while it lasts, as the F1 drivers have just a couple more years on this track before it falls from the calendar. Or will it.
Despite the best efforts of the BRDC, which has totally emasculated some sections of this historic track, a number of the eye-watering corners still remain, we're talking Copse, Maggots, Becketts. The new breed of F1 car should look might here, as they finally get to show what they can really do. There is talk of some drivers taking Copse flat-out in 8th.
There is only one reserve driver on duty, Antonio Giovinazzi, who isn't in the Ferrari but in the Haas where he is replacing Kevin Magnussen.
While there will be the usual updates, the biggest package is that of Red Bull, a team currently enjoying mixed fortunes. Sadly, for Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, is thought to have an engine upgrade worth as much as 10 horsepower.
Then there's the public debut of the Shield, the FIA's proposed cockpit protection device, which will be trialled by Sebastian Vettel in this session.
The lights go green and first out is Vettel with his shield. While the external shots yesterday showed a worrying amount of reflection, the in-car shots show this also. However, the German is more worried about his brakes, warning that "they're very powerful".
After just three minutes all but one driver has ventured out... think London, think Greek Islands.
An unusually happy Grosjean sings "Happy Birthday to Simmsy".
The cameras pick up on Vettel who is clearly having great difficulty reading his monitor through the shield.
As Hamilton finally ventures out, Verstappen misses his pit box, the Red Bull laden with various sensors.
Running thus far has been on the softs and mediums, the supers yet to make an appearance.
Vettel (slowly) climbs from his car, the German looking none too impressed with the FIA's device.
Just ten minutes into the session and there's not a single car on track, silence falls over this particular part of Northamptonshire.
After around seven minutes of nothing, an engine fires up and Raikkonen heads down the pitlane. He is joined by Wehrlein. The Finn is the first driver to use the supers.
In the Ferrari garage, Ross Brawn is discussing the Shield with the team's engineers.
Raikkonen crosses the line at 1:32.533, moments later Wehrlein posts 39.302.
More drivers head out and soon the Red Bulls top the timesheets, Verstappen on 31.771 and Ricciardo 32.389.
The cameras pick up on some carbonfibre flying off Massa's car as he rides the kerbs in T9.
A 30.969 sees Raikkonen reclaim the top spot by 0.802, however whereas the Finn is on supers, the Red Bull duo are on softs.
As Verstappen posts 30.957, Vettel heads out on supersofts. The German subsequently posts 31.805 to go third.
Out come the yellows as Vettel spins at T13. The German reveals that his tyres are now flat-spotted.
Meanwhile, Bottas has posted 30.788 to go top. Moments later, Hamilton makes it a Mercedes 1-2 with 30.442.
Bottas responds with a 29.876.
Just over 30 minutes into the session, all but Palmer have posted a time.
'Despite' only being quickest in S2, Hamilton raises the bar with a 29.651, while Riccardo goes third with a 30.942.
Once again Bottas responds, this time with a 29.651.
A 31.265 sees Alonso go sixth, the Spaniard facing further grid penalties this weekend as he reverts to the Spec 3 engine.
As we hit that time when the extra set of tyres have to be handed back, and silence once again descends, Bottas leads, followed by Hamilton, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Ocon, Alonso, Perez, Kvyat and Vettel. Palmer still to post a time, and ominously the Briton's car is up on its stand.
Taking advantage of the lull, marshals run on to the track to remove the debris following Massa's earlier moment.
"Still early to draw any conclusions," admits Pirelli, "but Mercedes place looks fairly awesome: the only cars in the 1m29s bracket. So far."
Check out our Friday gallery from Silverstone, here.
Following another six or seven minutes of inactivity, Ericsson heads out. The Swede was the recipient of some gesticulating from Hamilton earlier, when he failed to spot the Briton in his mirrors.
Bottas (200 mph) is quickest through the speed-trap, with Raikkonen around 4.5 mph slower.
Palmer heads out, much to the delight of the fans. However, in the Williams garage, the floor has been removed from Stroll's car.
The Force India duo head out on mediums.
An improvement for Hamilton, who is quickest in S1, but remains 2nd, 0.379s off his teammate's pace.
Still on the supers, Vettel improves to fourth with a 30.933, albeit 1.8s off Bottas' pace, the German having made a mistake in T3.
"Slow down, we have to box," Wehrlein is told, "gearbox temperature, slow down." "Unbelievable," comes the reply.
An improvement from Vettel but he remains 1.676s off Bottas' pace. That said, third placed Verstappen is 1.116s off the pace also.
Despite the worrying messages over the radio, Wehrlein is back on track moments after stopping at his pit.
Hamilton improves but remains 0.278s off his teammate's pace, while Raikkonen clearly struggling to keep his car under control.
When Grosjean claims a lack of power, his engineer admits there's no MGU-K engagement. "Try to find a solution," says the Frenchman, "I'm losing the whole session here."
A 29.942 sees Ricciardo leapfrog his teammate, only for Verstappen to respond with a 29.786. Both are on the supers, while the Mercedes duo persist with the softs.
Hamilton improves again, but now remains a tantalising 0.078s off his teammate's pace.
Giovinazzi posts 32.189 to go 15th, just behind his Haas teammate.
While the Force Indias are 9th and 11th, on the mediums, the Renault duo are over 3.3s off the pace.
Raikkonen, closes to within 1.031s of Bottas, leapfrogging his Ferrari teammate in the process.
Alonso posts 3.993 to go seventh, while teammate Vandoorne is currently ninth (31.041). Both are on the supersofts.
Hulkenberg is warned his car has a "tendency for front locking", the German currently 17th, 3.433s off the pace.
With 13 minutes remaining, Stroll is back on track, Williams having repaired his floor. However, he immediately heads back to his garage where something is being retrieved from his cockpit.
"Something is loose in the cockpit, He had previously told the team, "my left arm can't complete the turning radius". He also mentions that something moves forward under braking.
A big, big moment for Grosjean in T9 (Copse).
Resolutely sticking with the mediums, the Force India duo slips to 12th (Ocon) and 13th.
Stroll runs wide in T13 as Verstappen heads back out.
Early days, but with a 0.49s lead over the opposition, and on harder rubber, Mercedes is looking formidable.
After the issues with the Williams cars over the kerbs at T9, Ricciardo also appears to have incurred floor damage.
"I have no power, what's happening?" asks Kvyat. "He is told to "box slowly". It's not all bad news for the Russian however, he ends the session seventh.
The session ends with Austria winner Bottas quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Vettel, Kvyat, Alonso, Massa and Vandoorne.
Sainz is eleventh, ahead of Ocon, Perez, Grosjean, Stroll, Giovinazzi, Hulkenberg, Palmer, Wehrlein and Ericsson.
Check out our Friday gallery from Silverstone, here.