Max best of the rest in P3 in first free practice Silverstone

Published on 03 July 2015 by Mike Motilall

On a sunny Silverstone, the circuit where Max Verstappen drove his first Formula 3-race in April 2014, the Dutchman clocked a premium third time in the first free practice. The Scuderia Toro Rosso-driver was, apart from the Mercedes-drivers “best of the rest” in the first session of the Grand Prix of Great Britain. Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth, ahead of Carlos Sainz, Max’ team mate.

At the start of the first free practice, Max is heard mentioning on the radio that the track is very ‘green’ and slippery. That becomes evident when we witness many drivers take some excursions off track or even spin on the asphalt. Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Nasr spin and Felipe Massa was momentarily a farmer as he plowed through the grass. Jolyon Palmer and Daniil Kvyat also ventured off track. None however suffered any damage.

After about fifteen minutes, Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes halts with a hydraulic issue in the gear box. As this needs to be changed, the German finds himself for quite a while in the pit box. When he eventually heads out to the track, at the end of the practice, he notes the fastest time.

When the first set of tyres need to be handed over, after half an hour, Max is on eighth. He has by then, only done three flying laps. The entire field remains inside for about fifteen minutes, but after that Max heads out on the hot tarmac and with a 1:35.530, he notes the second time on a new set of the harder tyres.

As the final half hour of the one-and-a half hour training is ticking away, the STR10 of Max is in the pit box. Due to a ‘flatspot’, it serves no purpose to do any more laps. Resulting in Max having done eighteen laps.

Rosberg, after his gear box change, and with a few minutes to go, gets out on track and claims the top spot. In front of his Mercedes-team mate Hamilton. This results in Max finishing the first free practice in P3. A great start of the British weekend.

Silverstone - British Grand Prix - Friday 3 July

  P No Driver             Team          Time     Gap   Laps 
 1   6 Nico Rosberg       Mercedes      1:34.274         12 
 2  44 Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes      1:34.344 +0.070s 26 
 3  33 Max Verstappen     Toro Rosso    1:35.530 +1.256s 18 
 4   7 Kimi Räikkönen     Ferrari       1:35.588 +1.314s 21 
 5  55 Carlos Sainz       Toro Rosso    1:35.669 +1.395s 33 
 6   5 Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari       1:35.739 +1.465s 17 
 7   3 Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull      1:35.818 +1.544s 26 
 8  26 Daniil Kvyat       Red Bull      1:35.876 +1.602s 22 
 9  27 Nico Hulkenberg    Force India   1:36.157 +1.883s 28 
10  19 Felipe Massa       Williams      1:36.469 +2.195s 23 
11  12 Felipe Nasr        Sauber        1:36.855 +2.581s 20 
12  11 Sergio Perez       Force India   1:36.889 +2.615s 26 
13  41 Susie Wolff        Williams      1:37.242 +2.968s 19 
14  30 Jolyon Palmer      Lotus         1:37.262 +2.988s 26 
15  36 Raffaele Marciello Sauber        1:37.372 +3.098s 17 
16  13 Pastor Maldonado   Lotus         1:38.080 +3.806s  8 
17  14 Fernando Alonso    McLaren       1:38.222 +3.948s 12 
18  22 Jenson Button      McLaren       1:38.860 +4.586s 10 
19  28 Will Stevens       Marussia      1:38.981 +4.707s 23 
20  98 Roberto Merhi      Marussia      1:40.477 +6.203s 23

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