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• Hamilton quickest, misses track time
• Scots lass sidelined by oil pressure
• Wolff first woman in 22 years in F1 weekend
SILVERSTONE, England - Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Friday practice for his home British Formula 1 GP on Friday despite losing precious track time due to a Mercedes engine problem.
The Briton, who has not won at Silverstone since 2008 but desperately needs to do so on Sunday to rein in runaway team mate and Formula 1 championship leader Nico Rosberg, set a best time of 1min34.508 on a blustery English afternoon.
However he had to sit out the last half hour after an oil-pressure problem stopped him on track with 30 minutes remaining which meant the 2008 champion, 29 points behind Rosberg after eight races, did only 14 laps after lunch compared to Rosberg's 35 and was unable to do an important long run race simulation.
TWO RACE RETIREMENTS
German Rosberg ended the day second fastest and 0.228sec off Hamilton's time. Here's what Hamilton had to say: "It happens. I don't know why it happens to my car so much. I don't really know what the car feels like for the race but I will try to get some long runs tomorrow (Saturday July 5)."
He's had two race retirements this season - perhaps the main reason why his team mate is leading the championship. He will be able to study Rosberg's data but said that would not help much because of their different styles. "It's OK, I'll be all right," he added.
Rosberg was quickest in a morning session notable for the presence of a woman driver, Susie Wolff, for the first time in 22 years.
Hamilton is determined to regain the championship momentum after being beaten by his team mate in the previous three GP's, though he's won four races to Rosberg's three so far.
MORE FRUSTRATION
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third on the time sheets in both sessions with Red Bull's Australian Daniel Ricciardo fourth. Red Bull's four-times champion Sebastian Vettel was fifth in the afternoon.
Wolff suffered considerably more frustration than Hamilton after her involvement in the opening session at the wheel of the car to be raced by Finland's Valtteri Bottas on Sunday lasted barely 20 minutes.
On a bad morning for Williams, which finished third and fourth in Austria two Sundays earlier, Brazilian Felipe Massa then brought out the red flags after a serious crash that also ruled him out of the rest of the morning.
Wolff, wife of Mercedes motorsport head Toto, did only four laps before an oil pressure problem forced her to park trackside. Even if that ended her track activities, Wolff was still the first woman to take part in any stage of an F1 GP since Italian Giovanna Amati tried and failed to qualify for Brabham in 1992.
Italian Lella Lombardi, in 1976, was the most recent woman to race in F1.
'EVERYTHING FELT GOOD'
Wolff said: "It was a really tough day but that's F1sometimes. We had an oil pressure problem which cut the engine.
"Once I put the helmet on that was the best feeling and as soon as I left the pits lane everything felt good. Unfortunately it was a short run but I'm going to look forward to Hockenheim," added the Scots lass, who will have a second run at the German GP later in July (2014).
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. The Brazilian was unhurt in the impact but the car suffered heavy damage.
"I'm fine. I hit the outside of the kerb and it just pushed me inside," said the former Ferrari driver who is about the start his 200th GP but his first at Silverstone with a British team.
First free 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) RedBull - Renault 1min36.623
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min36.703
6 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 1min36.921
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min36.963
8 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min37.175
9 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min37.227
10 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min37.231
11 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes 1min37.720
12 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 1min37.910
13 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 1min38.056
14 Daniel Juncadella (Spain) Force India - Mercedes 1min38.083
15 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Sauber - Ferrari 1min38.328
16 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - Ferrari 1min38.917
17 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1min39.461
18 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - Ferrari 1min39.814
19 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham - Renault 1min40.597
20 Robin Frijns (Netherlands) Caterham - Renault 1min42.261
21 Susie Wolff (Britain) Williams-Mercedes 1min44.212
22 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus – Renault
Second free practice times
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min34.508
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min34.736
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min35.244
4 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) RedBull - Renault 1min35.511
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 1min35.627
6 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 1min36.016
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min36.228
8 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min36.299
9 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min36.554
10 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min36.583
11 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1min36.671
12 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min36.778
13 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 1min36.951
14 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - Renault 1min37.064
15 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 1min37.097
16 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes 1min37.236
17 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 1min37.449
18 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber - Ferrari 1min37.520
19 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - Ferrari 1min38.658
20 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham - Renault 1min39.068
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - Ferrari 1min39.224
22 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham - Renault 1min39.762
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Silverstone F1 GP weekend.
• Scots lass sidelined by oil pressure
• Wolff first woman in 22 years in F1 weekend
SILVERSTONE, England - Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Friday practice for his home British Formula 1 GP on Friday despite losing precious track time due to a Mercedes engine problem.
The Briton, who has not won at Silverstone since 2008 but desperately needs to do so on Sunday to rein in runaway team mate and Formula 1 championship leader Nico Rosberg, set a best time of 1min34.508 on a blustery English afternoon.
However he had to sit out the last half hour after an oil-pressure problem stopped him on track with 30 minutes remaining which meant the 2008 champion, 29 points behind Rosberg after eight races, did only 14 laps after lunch compared to Rosberg's 35 and was unable to do an important long run race simulation.
TWO RACE RETIREMENTS
German Rosberg ended the day second fastest and 0.228sec off Hamilton's time. Here's what Hamilton had to say: "It happens. I don't know why it happens to my car so much. I don't really know what the car feels like for the race but I will try to get some long runs tomorrow (Saturday July 5)."
He's had two race retirements this season - perhaps the main reason why his team mate is leading the championship. He will be able to study Rosberg's data but said that would not help much because of their different styles. "It's OK, I'll be all right," he added.
Rosberg was quickest in a morning session notable for the presence of a woman driver, Susie Wolff, for the first time in 22 years.
Hamilton is determined to regain the championship momentum after being beaten by his team mate in the previous three GP's, though he's won four races to Rosberg's three so far.
MORE FRUSTRATION
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third on the time sheets in both sessions with Red Bull's Australian Daniel Ricciardo fourth. Red Bull's four-times champion Sebastian Vettel was fifth in the afternoon.
Wolff suffered considerably more frustration than Hamilton after her involvement in the opening session at the wheel of the car to be raced by Finland's Valtteri Bottas on Sunday lasted barely 20 minutes.
On a bad morning for Williams, which finished third and fourth in Austria two Sundays earlier, Brazilian Felipe Massa then brought out the red flags after a serious crash that also ruled him out of the rest of the morning.
Wolff, wife of Mercedes motorsport head Toto, did only four laps before an oil pressure problem forced her to park trackside. Even if that ended her track activities, Wolff was still the first woman to take part in any stage of an F1 GP since Italian Giovanna Amati tried and failed to qualify for Brabham in 1992.
Italian Lella Lombardi, in 1976, was the most recent woman to race in F1.
'EVERYTHING FELT GOOD'
Wolff said: "It was a really tough day but that's F1sometimes. We had an oil pressure problem which cut the engine.
"Once I put the helmet on that was the best feeling and as soon as I left the pits lane everything felt good. Unfortunately it was a short run but I'm going to look forward to Hockenheim," added the Scots lass, who will have a second run at the German GP later in July (2014).
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. The Brazilian was unhurt in the impact but the car suffered heavy damage.
"I'm fine. I hit the outside of the kerb and it just pushed me inside," said the former Ferrari driver who is about the start his 200th GP but his first at Silverstone with a British team.
First free 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) RedBull - Renault 1min36.623
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min36.703
6 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 1min36.921
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min36.963
8 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min37.175
9 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min37.227
10 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min37.231
11 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes 1min37.720
12 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 1min37.910
13 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 1min38.056
14 Daniel Juncadella (Spain) Force India - Mercedes 1min38.083
15 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Sauber - Ferrari 1min38.328
16 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - Ferrari 1min38.917
17 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1min39.461
18 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - Ferrari 1min39.814
19 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham - Renault 1min40.597
20 Robin Frijns (Netherlands) Caterham - Renault 1min42.261
21 Susie Wolff (Britain) Williams-Mercedes 1min44.212
22 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus – Renault
Second free practice times
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min34.508
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min34.736
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min35.244
4 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) RedBull - Renault 1min35.511
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 1min35.627
6 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 1min36.016
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min36.228
8 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min36.299
9 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min36.554
10 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min36.583
11 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1min36.671
12 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min36.778
13 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 1min36.951
14 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - Renault 1min37.064
15 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 1min37.097
16 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes 1min37.236
17 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 1min37.449
18 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber - Ferrari 1min37.520
19 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - Ferrari 1min38.658
20 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham - Renault 1min39.068
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - Ferrari 1min39.224
22 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham - Renault 1min39.762
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Silverstone F1 GP weekend.
