British GP Free Practice: Hamilton Fastest at a Very Different Silverstone
The 2026 British Grand Prix is underway at Silverstone, and the British GP Free Practice session delivered both great news and a familiar headache. Lewis Hamilton topped the timing sheets for Ferrari in the only practice session of the weekend. But the talk of the paddock was bigger than lap times.
Hamilton Leads a Ferrari One-Two in FP1
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton set the pace in free practice at the 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Hamilton clocked a fastest time of 1:29.260, outpacing Mercedes driver and world championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 0.213 seconds.
Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was third, with George Russell fourth. Oscar Piastri was fifth for McLaren, a tenth ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Lando Norris, the reigning world champion, was seventh, with Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar 0.050 seconds slower in eighth.
Hamilton was more than half a second clear of any other driver, with Leclerc third at nearly six tenths back, and more than a second up on reigning champion Norris. Those are big gaps, especially on a Sprint weekend where FP1 is the only chance teams get to gather data before things get serious.
Piastri Spins at Becketts
Oscar Piastri produced the main flashpoint of the session when he lost the rear through Becketts and slid backwards into the run-off. The McLaren avoided the barriers, but the mistake wrecked his tyres and underlined that the team still does not quite have the car in the sweet spot.
The Big Story: Energy Management at Silverstone
The lap times are one thing. But the bigger conversation heading into this weekend is about power. Specifically, the lack of it. Silverstone’s fast nature and quick corners such as Copse and the Becketts complex have long been standout features, but the new generation of F1 cars are energy starved. The layout means there is a long run from the exit of Brooklands down to Stowe with little opportunity to recover power, meaning cars will be out of battery energy long before the Hangar Straight.
Hamilton said this could be “the most unprecedented weekend in terms of the power deployment.” He revealed that “all us drivers have been talking in the drivers’ chat about just how poor the power is going to be through this track,” adding that “the MGU-K will be switched off for a large portion of the lap.” We looked at this issue in depth in our piece on 2026 F1 cars and Silverstone power problems.
Verstappen, who completed simulator running for Red Bull ahead of the event, said he “just started laughing” when reviewing Silverstone, describing it as a circuit where battery deployment becomes particularly constrained. “It felt like a different track, to be honest,” he said. “You barely have battery around the lap.”
Fernando Alonso was also pessimistic, saying the high-speed sections that once made Silverstone one of the most rewarding circuits on the calendar could be transformed into energy-saving zones. Asked what Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel would feel like, Alonso described it as “a charging station.” You can read more about this topic in our article on the Silverstone charging station debate.
Not everyone is gloomy, though. George Russell has been a rare voice in support of the 2026 rules, arguing that what mattered most is that the fans would get to see better racing, and doubting that the energy management factor would make much difference for spectators. With 600,000 fans at Silverstone this weekend, he may have a point.
What Comes Next at Silverstone
For the first time since 2021, Silverstone is hosting a Sprint weekend. The sole free practice session takes place at 12:30 BST on Friday, before Sprint Qualifying at 16:30 BST. The Sprint race is set for 12:00 BST on Saturday, with Grand Prix qualifying that afternoon at 16:00 BST.
Hamilton will head into Sprint Qualifying with the momentum of a home crowd and a fast car. Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton enter their home event in strong form, having shared the previous two Grand Prix wins between them, but Kimi Antonelli still remains the driver to beat with a 40-point lead in the standings. Also worth watching is whether the energy concerns translate into chaos in Sprint Qualifying, which could throw the whole weekend wide open. Check out our piece on why battery fears could shake the British Sprint for a deeper look.
This is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating weekends of the 2026 season. Stay with us at rnt-motorsports.com for full coverage.
