Verstappen far behind

LIVE from 5pm: 2nd practice session for Silverstone GP

(Bild: AP)

After the serious collision in Spielberg with Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, championship rival Lando Norris set two fastest times at the start of his home Grand Prix. The 24-year-old Briton was the fastest driver in the McLaren in both one-hour sessions on Friday at the Silverstone circuit. He relegated his team-mate Oscar Piastri to second place by 0.331 seconds. The Australian had previously finished third behind Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston).

Sergio Perez was third in the second session and Max Verstappen fourth in the first. The championship leader was seventh in the second session. "We are generally doing well, the long run was very strong. We were able to pull away from Mercedes a little more," said Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko on ORF after the first practice session. Piastri had had to end the opening practice session early due to a hydraulic problem.

Here are the results in detail:

Verstappen was on the hard and therefore slowest tire compound in the first free practice session for the British Grand Prix. The three-time world champion from the Netherlands drove his Red Bull 0.309 seconds slower than Norris, with whom he had last clashed in the race in Styria.

Here is the standings in the drivers' world championship:

Accident in Spielberg already forgotten
A few days after the momentous crash at Spielberg, however, the two good friends made up again. "The only thing that mattered after that weekend was my friendship with Lando," said Verstappen in the paddock. Norris had to retire from the race on Sunday after a slight contact with the triple champion. Verstappen was given a time penalty by race control, but still managed to finish fifth and extend his lead in the championship standings to 81 points. Norris had subsequently demanded an apology, among other things, but rowed back at Silverstone.

"Lando is a class act," emphasized Verstappen. He was fighting for his second Grand Prix victory, he himself for his 62nd, said the Dutchman: "It's clear that the emotions are different." That's why he let tempers cool down first. Norris had previously said that they had spoken on both Monday and Wednesday. He did not give any details. It is now "business as usual", Norris added. Verstappen also commented on the criticism of his driving style following the incident at the Austrian Grand Prix. "I don't give a shit about that. I'm going home and living my life," he said.