Verstappen over Hamilton in opening British GP practice

Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen

Red Bull Honda driver Max Verstappen, using the softest red Pirelli's topped opening practice for the British GP at Silverstone over a sandbagging Lewis Hamilton on the harder medium Pirellis.

Lance Stroll was third quick in the Racing Point 'pink' Mercedes ahead of Alex Albon in the 2nd Red Bull Honda.

Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari while his teammate Sebastian Vettel, who dusted him in Hungary, was never given a chance by Ferrari to set a time, his car supposedly with intercooler problems.

Valtteri Bottas was 6th quick in race trim on the hard tires in the 2nd Mercedes.

Mercedes has revealed that, as a precaution, it fitted a new MGU-K to Hamilton’s car, his second and last of the season.

Verstappen is approaching the British Grand Prix with caution, but hopes Red Bull can get within 0.5s of Mercedes.

The Silver Arrows have been dominant so far in 2020, taking pole and the win at all three races, whilst no non-Mercedes driver has been able to qualify within 0.5s of them to this point.

But if Verstappen can change that at Silverstone, then he thinks that will be a “good" job from Red Bull.

“Last year, we came here and we thought we were going to get smashed and we were within two tenths in qualifying," he told reporters ahead of the race weekend.

"It can depend on a lot of things. For sure, they are the dominant team and they will be very fast. It can be from two tenths to a second – you don’t know, you really don’t know.

“I hope it’s not going to be a second, I hope not. I hope to be within half a second, that would be good I think.’’

Results

POS NO DRIVER CAR TIME GAP LAPS
1 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda 1:27.422 +0.000s 26
2 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:27.896 +0.474s 26
3 18 Lance Stroll Racing Point BWT Mercedes 1:28.004 +0.582s 21
4 23 Alexander Albon Red Bull Racing Honda 1:28.129 +0.707s 23
5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:28.221 +0.799s 21
6 77 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:28.519 +1.097s 28
7 31 Esteban Ocon Renault 1:28.559 +1.137s 25
8 3 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1:28.575 +1.153s 21
9 27 Nico Hulkenberg Racing Point BWT Mercedes 1:28.592 +1.170s 22
10 26 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri Honda 1:28.868 +1.446s 20
11 10 Pierre Gasly Alphatauri Honda 1:28.909 +1.487s 23
12 55 Carlos Sainz McLaren Renault 1:28.988 +1.566s 23
13 4 Lando Norris McLaren Renault 1:28.990 +1.568s 21
14 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 1:29.532 +2.110s 22
15 8 Romain Grosjean Haas Ferrari 1:29.576 +2.154s 24
16 7 Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari 1:29.746 +2.324s 23
17 63 George Russell Williams Mercedes 1:29.899 +2.477s 22
18 99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari 1:29.925 +2.503s 16
19 6 Nicholas Latifi Williams Mercedes 1:30.703 +3.281s 19
20 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari No Time No Time 2