McLaren duo leaves F1 dominators behind
Lando Norris uses the Friday training session at Silverstone to declare his claim for a home victory. The British McLaren driver sets the fastest lap time, while Max Verstappen finishes seventh and even gets beaten by Nico Hülkenberg.
When the famous English rain set in, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen were able to end their workday early. McLaren driver Norris, the new challenger to Formula 1 World Champion Verstappen, managed to do this with a significantly better feeling. The Brit started powerfully in his home race weekend at Silverstone and must be the first contenders for the win.
Norris, who collided with Formula 1 World Champion Verstappen in the fight for the win in Austria the previous week, set the clear fastest time in the first and second free practice sessions for the British Grand Prix (Sunday, 4 PM MESZ/Sky and live at ntv.de). His McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri (Australia/1:26.880) came close but couldn't quite match Norris' 1:26.549 minutes.
Verstappen, who has a comfortable 81-point lead over Norris in the driver standings before the twelfth season race, finished only seventh in the Red Bull and must make up for it in qualifying to defend his previous year's win - he must be significantly faster on Saturday, that's what sets Verstappen apart.
Verstappen and Norris clear the air in Spielberg
Sergio Perez in third place for Red Bull showed the potential in the Red Bull. Surprisingly strong in fourth place was the German Nico Hülkenberg in Haas. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and seven-time world champion and Silverstone record winner Lewis Hamilton (England/Mercedes) also placed themselves ahead of Verstappen in the daily standings.
Verstappen and Norris have cleared the air after the incident in Spielberg. "I don't want to ruin our friendship," Verstappen said on Thursday. "Looking back, it was a good duel. It was really just a stupid little contact that ruined the race for both of us."
Norris, who finished second to Verstappen in the home race last year, wants to climb all the way to the podium this time. "If I could win just once, then in Silverstone," said the 24-year-old beforehand. It looks very promising for him.
In the qualifying session, Max Verstappen strivefully attempts to overcome his seventh-place finish in the practice, aiming for a faster time to secure a better starting position ahead of the British Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Nico Hülkenberg in the McLaren-rivaling Haas car surprises the Formula 1 community by securing a commendable fourth position.
With the confidence gained from his solid performance during practice, Lando Norris seeks to outshine Red Bull Racing's Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen in the upcoming qualifying session. Nico Hülkenberg, on the other hand, hopes to consolidate his impressive fourth-place finish from practice, reminding the world that McLaren is not the only British team to watch out for in this year's Formula 1 season.
