F1 British GP live: Practice start time, updates and schedule at Silverstone – UK Times

Formula One boss Stefano Domenicali said he expects the British Grand Prix to be on the calendar “forever” ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday.

Domenicali, and at least a quarter of the grid’s 20 drivers – including British rookie Ollie Bearman and former Ferrari man Carlos Sainz – will be hosted by Starmer in a Downing Street reception ahead of this weekend’s race at Silverstone.

F1’s American owners Liberty Media last year struck a new 10-season agreement with Silverstone to safeguard one of the jewels in the country’s sporting summer until 2034 in a deal understood to be worth £300million.

And speaking ahead of the 12th round of the campaign – where British driver Lando Norris is bidding to secure back-to-back wins – Domenicali said: “I believe that Silverstone has the right characteristics to stay forever on the calendar because there is no other place where you can develop such a huge event in the UK.”

Here, ahead of his home race, the Mercedes driver takes the PA news agency on a lap of Silverstone.

A qualifying lap at the British Grand Prix is one of the most exhilarating of the year. It is probably only beaten by Monaco. In a Formula One car, the first two corners are flat-out at 190mph. I could even do them with one hand.

I brake about 60 metres before Village, which means it is a fast entry, before swinging back over to the other side of the track for the left hander at Loop – the second slowest corner on the track. A good slingshot on the exit is pivotal as the Aintree kink takes us on to the long Wellington Straight.

Read more about the perfect lap at Silverstone below:

Russell, who is in the middle of his fourth season with Mercedes, does not currently have a contract beyond 2025 despite a strong first half of the season.

Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen has long been courted by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and reports in Italian media this week state that the Dutchman is open to the prospect of joining the Silver Arrows next year. Russell revealed last week that Mercedes are in discussions with Verstappen.

But Russell, who is in the midst of his first campaign without Lewis Hamilton as his teammate, insists he is unconcerned.

“There’s a lot of conversations behind the scenes that are not public and I know where their loyalty lies,” Russell said, ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

Lando Norris said he wants to overtake Lewis Hamilton as the British number one as he admitted winning at Silverstone would be the crowning moment of his career.

The 25-year-old will have his own grandstand at Silverstone, hosting 10,000 of his fans, while he is also the leading Briton in the championship, two places ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.

Lewis Hamilton said he is “hoping and praying” to end the worst podiumless streak of his Formula One career at Sunday’s British Grand Prix.

Hamilton has a remarkable record at his home race, winning a record nine times at Silverstone. He has also finished in the top three in all of his last 11 appearances here.

However, the seven-time world champion has not landed a podium in Ferrari colours – a streak of 11 races – the deepest into the season he has ever gone without a top-three finish.

Hamilton ended his two-and-a-half-year losing streak with a famous victory at Silverstone last season, and speaking ahead of Sunday’s race, Hamilton said: “I am hoping and praying.

“There is always magic here at Silverstone. It is a very, very special race and I am hoping all sorts of things can help us because we are not as quick as McLaren. If it stays dry they will walk the race.

After all, this was the seven-time F1 world champion moving to the fabled Ferrari. A driver in need of rejuvenation after three years of frustration at Mercedes was joining a team seemingly on the up, having come within a whisker of last year’s constructors’ title. Everything seemed perfectly aligned. With the whole world watching, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, come race 12 and the halfway stage of the 2025 season, the answer is unavoidable: pretty much everything.

Good morning and welcome to the Independent Sport’s coverage of the British Grand Prix.

Today we have first and second practice at Silverstone in what promises to be a distraction from the gossip and rumours swirling around the paddock.

George Russell gets back in the Mercedes amid talk of Max Verstappen replacing him next season.

While Verstappen has refused to rebuff talk of a switch in 2026 entirely, and will instead focus on improvements in the Red Bull.

We’ll see how they get on, plus title favourites Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Lewis Hamilton, showing some glimmers in the Ferrari last week in Austria, will hope to rediscover the magic at Silverstone after last year’s historic win.