Rosberg fastest at Silverstone

03 July 2015 11:01

Nico Rosberg overcame a hydraulic failure in the opening practice session for the British Grand Prix to lay down a title marker to home favourite Lewis Hamilton.

Rosberg spent much of the 90-minute session watching with headphones on from the back of the Mercedes garage after his car stopped on track with only five laps under his belt.

But the German made it back out on to the track with a little under 10 minutes remaining after Mercedes successfully changed his gearbox.

He posted a best lap of one minute 34.274 seconds to finish less than a tenth of a second faster than Hamilton at a warm and sunny Silverstone.

The Briton, who emerged unscathed from a high-speed spin on the exit of Stowe moments before Rosberg stopped, had spent much of the session leading the way before his fastest time of 1min 34.344secs was pipped by Rosberg.

Max Verstappen, the impressive 17-year-old, was third in his Toro Rosso with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in fourth. Verstappen's team-mate Carlos Sainz was next up, and Sebastian Vettel, celebrating his 28th birthday on Friday, was sixth fastest.

It was business as usual for Hamilton, and so too for Jenson Button as he completed only 10 laps in what could be his final Silverstone outing.

The Briton spent much of the morning session kicking his heels in the McLaren garage before he emerged on track with just 12 minutes left. He finished 18th, 4.586 seconds slower than Hamilton.

Fernando Alonso's fortunes weren't much better. The double world champion failed to post a lap in the first hour before ending the session one place higher than his team-mate in 17th, almost four seconds adrift of Rosberg.

Susie Wolff, the Williams reserve driver, was 13th, the best part of three seconds off the leading pace. Fellow Briton Jolyon Palmer was 14th in his Lotus as he deputised for Romain Grosjean while Manor driver Will Stevens was 19th, only one tenth slower than Button.

Source: PA