Lewis Hamilton gave the Silverstone crowd an early reason to make noise, topping British Grand Prix practice for Ferrari before sprint qualifying later on Friday. For a driver who has made this circuit feel almost personal over the years, it was a sharp little reminder that home comfort can still look useful on a timing screen.

Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, finished 0.213 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Charles Leclerc put the second Ferrari third, ahead of Antonelli’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who arrived at Silverstone after winning in Austria last weekend.

Ferrari set the pace before sprint qualifying

The result was not exactly the forecast Hamilton had offered a day earlier. On Thursday, he suggested Ferrari could lose roughly twice as much time on the straights to Mercedes as it did in Austria, where he finished fifth.

That came two weeks after his landmark first Ferrari victory in Barcelona, so the mood around his form has not been short on whiplash. Motorsport does enjoy making confident predictions look silly within 24 hours.

Hamilton is already the most successful driver in Silverstone history, with nine wins at the circuit. Leading the only practice session of the sprint weekend does not hand out points, trophies, or lasting peace of mind, but it did give Ferrari a tidy start at a venue where the margins can quickly turn uncomfortable.

McLaren and Red Bull had less tidy sessions

Oscar Piastri was fifth fastest for McLaren, 0.887 seconds off Hamilton’s benchmark, despite a spin at Becketts midway through the session. He avoided turning that moment into anything more costly, which is usually the preferred outcome when a high-speed corner starts asking difficult questions.

Max Verstappen ended up sixth for Red Bull, 0.980 seconds behind Hamilton. The Dutchman seemed short of grip and finished ahead of the second McLaren of Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar.

The top 10 was completed by:

  • Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
  • Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
  • Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
  • George Russell, Mercedes
  • Oscar Piastri, McLaren
  • Max Verstappen, Red Bull
  • Lando Norris, McLaren
  • Isack Hadjar, Red Bull
  • Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber
  • Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

Silverstone expects a record crowd

Clear skies and 23C temperatures greeted the start of what is expected to be a record-breaking weekend. Organisers anticipate 500,000 people at Silverstone across the event, an all-time high for the circuit.

Practice itself was mostly calm apart from Piastri’s spin. The sharper test comes quickly, with sprint qualifying scheduled to start at 16:30 BST.

Hamilton’s timing sheet delivered a strong opening note. For everyone else, it was a reminder that Silverstone has a habit of making the familiar feel complicated very quickly.