05/07/2024
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening session the air temperature is 16 degrees C, while the track temperature is 22 degrees. It is a typical English summer's day... cool and somewhat overcast.
In terms of updates, Red Bull has a new Floor Body and Floor Edge, Mercedes a new Front Wing, Rear Wing, Front Corner and Rear Corner, while McLaren has a new Rear Wing, Beam Wing and Coke/Engine Cover.
Aston Martin has a new Front Wing and Rear Corner, while RB has a new Halo, Stake new Floor Fences and Haas a new Floor Body, Floor Fences, Floor Edge, Sidepod Inlet, Coke/Engine Cover, Mirror Stay and Rear Corner.
Ferrari, Alpine and Williams haven't brought any updates, which is surprising, certainly in the Maranello outfit's case.
There are a couple of reserve drivers on duty Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, Colapinto at Williams, Doohan at Alpine and Bearman at Haas... for whom he will drive next season.
"There's practically no wind," Hamilton is told, while Stroll complains of a long brake pedal.
Of the first wave, Alonso goes quickest, ahead of Tsunoda, Ricciardo, Bottas and Ocon, until Verstappen crosses the line at 29.906.
Most are on hards though Bottas, Hulkenberg and Stroll are on mediums.
Hamilton improves to 29.035 as Tsunoda goes second with a 29.864.
Ten minutes in and the session is red flagged when Tsunoda goes off at Turn 7 and finds himself beached in the gravel trap.
The session resumes with 44 minutes remaining, and Hamilton leads the way, followed by Verstappen, Russell, Ricciardo and Ocon.
Russell goes quickest with a 28.888 then improves to 28.156, while Verstappen goes second (28.370).
In a bid to turn its fortunes around, Ferrari is using different set-ups on its two cars, as Leclerc goes fourth with a 29.057 and Sainz fifth (29.168).
A 28.660 sees Bearman go fifth ahead of Ocon and Stroll.
Hamilton retakes the top spot with a 28.043 as Ricciardo improves to twelfth (29.160) and Bearman becomes the first to switch to softs.
A 27.925 sees Sainz go top on the hards, as Stroll goes fifth (28.426) and Bottas seventh (28.527), the Finn subsequently switching to softs.
Bearman improves to eighth with a 28.536.
Verstappen improves to 27.764 on the mediums, as Russell, quickest in the final two sectors, goes second with a 27.774.
On the softs, Hulkenberg goes sixth (28.082) as Colapinto improves to 17th.
Verstappen further raises the bar with a 27.729.
On softs, Piastri goes quickest in S1. Though he loses pace in the final sector he crosses the line at 27.631.
Shortly after, Norris improves to fourth on the softs (27.836).
Doohan is finally back on track after a brake drum issue left him sidelined. His last outing was in Canada when he once again had limited running, that time due to the weather conditions.
Norris goes top with a 27.420, ahead of Stroll (27.554), as the radar shows that rain is closing in.
"What is he doing," asks Leclerc of Stroll, as Piastri suspects a hydraulics issue. Somehow the Australian makes it back to the pitlane.
"Leclerc claims he nearly crashed with Stroll as the Canadian insists he had nowhere to go.
Alonso improves to sixth on the softs, while Tsunoda remains rooted down in 19th.
"Sorry, man, I couldn't see him," admits Hadjar after a near miss with Norris that caused the Briton to take to the grass.
The session ends. Norris is quickest, ahead of Stroll, Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Alonso, Hamilton, Leclerc, Sainz and Ocon.
Hulkenberg is eleventh, ahead of Bottas, Ricciardo, Bearman, Zhou, Albon, Doohan, Colapinto, Hadjar and Tsunoda.
Check out our Friday gallery from Silverstone here.