Free 1: Romain Grosjean fastest in extremely wet first practice

Romain Grosjean has waded through the wet conditions at Silverstone to end the opening practice session fastest for this weekends British Grand Prix, roughly two tenths ahead of the Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo. Local hero Lewis Hamilton came home 3rd, as his mechanics completed an engine change throughout the session.

The session started in exceedingly wet conditions, as light rain fell upon the legendary Silverstone circuit. Friday drivers Dani Clos [HRT], Valtteri Bottas [Williams] and Jules Bianchi [Force India] all replaced their respective team-mates for the opening session, gaining a rather wet Silverstone experience. Jean-Eric Vergne became the first driver to experience the slippery conditions as the session got underway, with the Cinturato full wet (blue) tyres being opted for by all the drivers who took to the track.

Although the conditions looked incredibly difficult, the two Saubers quickly set the initial pace early on. Sergio Perez set a rather slow 02:04.479, before his team-mate Kamui Kobayashi set a 02:01.153. These times were naturally way off the dry pace, as the drivers tiptoed through the treacherous conditions.

Mark Webber then shot to the top, as the times gradually eased below the two minute mark. The Australian driver set a 01:59.719, before fellow countryman Daniel Ricciardo asserted his authority on the proceedings with a 01:58.581. The two Aussies swapped places atop the timing sheets until Ricciardo finally went fastest with a 01:56.827.

As the session progressed, it became clear that the weather had no intention of improving. Dani Clos became the first driver to spin his HRT car, as the rain visibly began to increase in intensity. This didn’t deter Romain Grosjean from setting the fastest time of the session with a 01:56.552, which subsequently remained the quickest time throughout the remainder of the session.

However, as the rain continued to hammer down on the track, many drivers continued to circulate. Kamui Kobayashi, Pedro de la Rosa and Timo Glock all made minor mistakes as they pushed in the torrential conditions. As the rain continued to intensify, it became clear that Grosjean’s time would not be beaten. This didn’t stop the two Toro Rossos from staying out on track, as both Vergne and Ricciardo gathered what could turn out to be some valuable wet weather knowledge.

Lewis Hamilton’s mechanics opted to change the Briton’s engine throughout the session, after the team decided to run his car with the engine used during the European Grand Prix last time out. This meant Lewis Hamilton had little time out on track during the first session, however he was still able to end the session 3rd overall.

With the session ending under torrential conditions, many drivers up and down the paddock will be hoping the rain subsides in time for the second practice session later this afternoon. However, the inclement weather could well remain a deciding factor throughout the course of the weekend, with showers forecast for both qualifying and the race.

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