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SILVERSTONE, England - Nico Rosberg dealt an early blow to Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton with the fastest lap in a 2014 British Grand Prix practice session notable for the presence of a female driver participating, the first in 22 years.
Rosberg lapped the Silverstone circuit in 1min35.424 with Hamilton, 29 points behind in the standings after eight races, second but 0.731 seconds slower than the championship leader.
Hamilton has not won his home race since 2008 but desperately needs to do so to regain the momentum after being beaten by Roberg in the last three grands prix.
POOR SESSION FOR WILLIAMS
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third, 0.839 off Rosberg's pace with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo fourth.
The main talking point ahead of the first session was the appearance on track of Williams test driver Susie Wolff.
Her involvement, at the wheel of the car to be raced by Valtteri Bottas on Sunday (June 6 2014), lasted barely 20 minutes due to mechanical problems.
On a bad morning for Williams, who finished third and fourth at the 2014 Austrian GP (June 22), Felipe Massa then brought out the red flags after a heavy crash that also ruled him out of the rest of the session.
Wolff, wife of Mercedes motorsport head Toto, managed just four laps before an oil pressure problem forced her to park up by the side of the track on a sunny but breezy morning at Silverstone.
Even if that ended her track activities, Wolff was still the first woman to take part in any stage of a grand prix weekend since Italian Giovanna Amati tried and failed to qualify with Brabham in 1992.
Italian Lella Lombardi, in 1976, was the last woman to race in F1.
TOUGH DAY AT SILVERSTONE
Wolff said: "It was a really tough day but that's F1 sometimes. We had an oil pressure problem which cut the engines.
"Once I had put the helmet on that was the best feeling, and as soon as I had left the pit lane, everything felt good. Unfortunately it was a short run but I'm going to look forward to Hockenheim,"
Wolff will have a second run in F1 at the 2014 German GP later in July.
Massa spun and hit the wall hard near the exit to Stowe corner with just over an hour of practice remaining, bringing the session to a halt. He was unhurt in the impact but the car suffered heavy damage.
Massa said: "I'm fine. I hit the outside of the kerb and it just pushed me inside."
He will be starting his 200th race this weekend but first at Silverstone with a British team.
2014 British Grand Prix at Silverstone:
First practice times
1 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min35.424
2 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min36.155
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min36.263
4 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min36.623
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min36.703
6 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min36.921
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min36.963
8 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 1min37.175
9 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min37.227
10 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min37.231
11 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min37.720
12 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min37.910
13 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min38.056
14 Daniel Juncadella (Spain) Force India 1min38.083
15 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Sauber 1min38.328
16 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min38.917
17 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1min39.461
18 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min39.814
19 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 1min40.597
20 Robin Frijns (Netherlands) Caterham 1min42.261
21 Susie Wolff (Britain) Williams-Mercedes 1min44.212
22 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 British GP.
Rosberg lapped the Silverstone circuit in 1min35.424 with Hamilton, 29 points behind in the standings after eight races, second but 0.731 seconds slower than the championship leader.
Hamilton has not won his home race since 2008 but desperately needs to do so to regain the momentum after being beaten by Roberg in the last three grands prix.
POOR SESSION FOR WILLIAMS
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third, 0.839 off Rosberg's pace with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo fourth.
The main talking point ahead of the first session was the appearance on track of Williams test driver Susie Wolff.
Her involvement, at the wheel of the car to be raced by Valtteri Bottas on Sunday (June 6 2014), lasted barely 20 minutes due to mechanical problems.
On a bad morning for Williams, who finished third and fourth at the 2014 Austrian GP (June 22), Felipe Massa then brought out the red flags after a heavy crash that also ruled him out of the rest of the session.
Wolff, wife of Mercedes motorsport head Toto, managed just four laps before an oil pressure problem forced her to park up by the side of the track on a sunny but breezy morning at Silverstone.
Even if that ended her track activities, Wolff was still the first woman to take part in any stage of a grand prix weekend since Italian Giovanna Amati tried and failed to qualify with Brabham in 1992.
Italian Lella Lombardi, in 1976, was the last woman to race in F1.
TOUGH DAY AT SILVERSTONE
Wolff said: "It was a really tough day but that's F1 sometimes. We had an oil pressure problem which cut the engines.
"Once I had put the helmet on that was the best feeling, and as soon as I had left the pit lane, everything felt good. Unfortunately it was a short run but I'm going to look forward to Hockenheim,"
Wolff will have a second run in F1 at the 2014 German GP later in July.
Massa spun and hit the wall hard near the exit to Stowe corner with just over an hour of practice remaining, bringing the session to a halt. He was unhurt in the impact but the car suffered heavy damage.
Massa said: "I'm fine. I hit the outside of the kerb and it just pushed me inside."
He will be starting his 200th race this weekend but first at Silverstone with a British team.
2014 British Grand Prix at Silverstone:
First practice times
1 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min35.424
2 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min36.155
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min36.263
4 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min36.623
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min36.703
6 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min36.921
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min36.963
8 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 1min37.175
9 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min37.227
10 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min37.231
11 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min37.720
12 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min37.910
13 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min38.056
14 Daniel Juncadella (Spain) Force India 1min38.083
15 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Sauber 1min38.328
16 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min38.917
17 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1min39.461
18 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min39.814
19 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 1min40.597
20 Robin Frijns (Netherlands) Caterham 1min42.261
21 Susie Wolff (Britain) Williams-Mercedes 1min44.212
22 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 British GP.
