[Jody Barton]

No chickens being counted, but seeing the cars on track today the Ferrari looked the best. Ferrari being ahead at all in any of the FP sessions on a Friday just does not happen. They sandbag so much. Maybe they're not, maybe Mercedes have decided to hide more pace, certainly possible as Ferrari will want to test out their entirely new floor and difuser... just felt significant watching Mercedes struggle, and Ferrari glide round the track. Still wouldn't expect anything other than a Silver Arrow on P1 come Saturday, as I said coming into Silverstone Mercedes should have the edge here, however, if they don't that'll be mighty telling.

Race pace is difficult to discern because the F1 app was utterly crap today so I got hardly no times at all, just a few laps here and there and no information on tyre age / length of stints. Were a few struggling with tyre wear and blistering on the front left though.

[forzaferrari]

Race pace is difficult to discern because the F1 app was utterly crap today so I got hardly no times at all, just a few laps here and there and no information on tyre age / length of stints. Were a few struggling with tyre wear and blistering on the front left though.

Any idea what the long run pace was like for Haas and Force India`s? (or mid field in general)

[Jody Barton]

As I said Haas seemed only a tenth down on Ferrari on the long runs. Then Force India around 6 seconds off of ultimate pace. Despite Leclerc having a few excursions, he also looked to be setting good lap times when they flashed up.

[forzaferrari]

Sounds like money well spent

Carlos Sainz says the new surface at Silverstone is grippier but potentially even bumpier than before. He compared it to the new surface laid at the Circuit de Catalunya, which was noted for being very smooth.
“[It’s] very weird,” said Sainz. “I was expecting a resurface like my friends in Barcelona did. They did an amazing job, even too much of a good job because the track was actually like ice and very grippy and no bumps at all.
“But here I’m surprised we found probably a step in grip that we found in Barcelona, the grippier Tarmac. But as bumpy or even bumpier than last year.
“For me it’s not a big problem I just feel sorry for the Moto GP guys that asked for this change and they probably are not going to get what they wanted.”
Several other drivers commented on the Silverstone surface after Friday practice.
Four-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had already complained to his Mercedes team over the radio and later added: "The track is the fastest it has ever been. It's insane how fast it is.
"It has to be the best track in the world, it feels like driving a fighter jet around the track.
"However, it is also the bumpiest track I've ever experienced, it's like the Nordschleife."

Hamilton's title rival Sebastian Vettel said it was "a bit funny" because they were "very small bumps, but it's like all the time, chattering around", while Haas driver Kevin Magnussen said the new surface "hasn't really helped anything".

However, not every driver was negative. Although Max Verstappen admitted he expected a smooth a surface he claimed that "some of the really annoying bumps have gone".

---

Nico Hulkenberg will not be able to reuse the Formula 1 engine that failed on him during the Austrian Grand Prix, Renault has confirmed.


Hulkenberg retired from the Red Bull Ring F1 race after a spectacular turbo failure and Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul said the French manufacturer would introduce a fix at Silverstone to prevent a repeat.
Post-race in Austria, Abiteboul suggested the turbo would be the only component that needed changing: "Nico's turbo is definitely dead, but the ICE [internal combustion engine] and the other components should be OK."
But the FIA confirmed ahead of Friday practice at the British GP that Hulkenberg has taken a new engine, as well as turbo, for this event.
Hulkenberg will now face grid penalties if he takes the 'spec-C' engine upgrade Renault has planned for later in the season, and the team's chassis technical director Nick Chester confirmed the turbo failure in Austria also took out Hulkenberg's ICE, and that it cannot be used again.
"Unfortunately it's gone," Chester said, when asked by Motorsport.com if the unit could be salvaged.
"When the turbo failed, we ingested some debris through the engine and damaged it so we can't really use it [again]."

[Monster Hesh]

Crazy day, as Jody and of course Morini stated, these practice sessions were more of a test session for the teams. Really hard to pick out anything significant that's concrete.
You know what I always say about Fridays, Ferrari showing that pace could mean we are in for a fight. YAY!
Maybe Ferrari were lighter try to unsettle Merc on a track favourite : P, or maybe their upgrades are working not just well, but amazingly well, or Merc turned down more as both drivers had their race PU's in. 
Track temp in FP2 caused the track to slow.
What can be noted is the lack of blistering, meaning the Hards probably wont be used, unless Sunday has no cloud cover and the track boils. Some fool in the UK already got knee deep in melted tarmac?!!......?
McLaren pace could be genuine. But that midfield is brilliantly close, like MotoGP close. Q2 could be highlight of qually.
Im going to blame the DRS start finish decision on Grosjeans crash, somebody was going to do it. I wouldn't be surprised if there isnt a second.
Crofty did well to sensor my tweet about track limits : P
FP3 could be quite telling, but again maybe unrepresentative.
It's nice to have unknowns.

For the hell of it, going for three in a row. Pole time: 1:25.8

[The Professor]

Very nice info Hesh.

Theoretical best lap time, am I seeing that difference correctly? Hamilton 0.5 seconds down with best sectors added up. At Silverstone!!?? Nope, there's some serious sandbagging going on there. Ferrari may well be strong with their updates, but that alone tells me that P2 is not a true reflection of form. Qualifying will tell, but I don't see Ferrari having that advantage tomorrow.

[forzaferrari]

The FIA is to address the issue of track limits at Silverstone's Club Corner by adding an extra kerb on the outside of the corner overnight.
During Friday's practice for the British Grand Prix, many Formula 1 drivers blatantly ran wide on to the run-off area in the course of a normal flying lap.
Usually the FIA is only concerned about such behaviour when drivers are deemed to have gained an advantage. While that was not the case on Friday, it was felt that it could become an issue over the course of the weekend, especially in qualifying, if drivers are allowed to take extreme lines.
A 25m section of 50mm high “speed-bump” kerbing, similar to those used in Turns 1 and 3 in Austria last week, is to be laid overnight on the exit of Club. It will be placed around 1.5m back from the white line.
Drivers were told about the new kerb by race director Charlie Whiting at Friday’s drivers’ briefing, and while there were suggestions from some that it might be better to wait for next year, the idea was generally accepted as a sensible one.
“Of course, as a driver I used all the track I could and nobody told me anything,” said Silverstone F1 rookie Pierre Gasly. “As nobody told me anything then of course I keep going wide. For tomorrow, I think it’s a little bit more fair for everyone.
“If someone will tell me I’m guilty I’ll say, ‘Yes,’ because I was going completely out, because it’s lap time and you want to go as fast as you can. It’s a way to make it a bit more fair between everyone and it’s probably a good idea.”

[Jody Barton]

Theoretical best lap time, am I seeing that difference correctly? Hamilton 0.5 seconds down with best sectors added up. At Silverstone!!?? Nope, there's some serious sandbagging going on there. Ferrari may well be strong with their updates, but that alone tells me that P2 is not a true reflection of form. Qualifying will tell, but I don't see Ferrari having that advantage tomorrow.

Hamilton's Mercedes was an absolute pig yesterday Professor, didn't want to turn at some points on the track at all, and at others its rear end wanted to swap places with the front of the car. If that's the balance Mercedes end up with today in qualifying, and it is a highly unlikely 'if' I believe, then yeah, Vettel will be 0.5 seconds or thereabouts up the road. Given all empires crumble to dust eventually if it does happen here at Silverstone we'll be witnessing the end of the Mercedes era if it does... and I don't think Toto and co are quite ready to give up on that just yet. So it'll be close, but if it is nip and tuck between them 1) given how exceptional Hamilton is around here and 2) how strong Mercedes have been round here since their return to F1, yes prior to the hybrid era as well... it'll say an awful lot about Mercedes prospects for the rest f the season.

Hesh, that prediction is exactly what Ant Davidson and Paul Di Resta said in the commentary from Sky, and I happen to think they and you are right. I high 1:25 lap is more than possible in Q3. Much will depend on track temperature. One thing I disagree with though is your claim about a lack of blistering. You obviously didn't see the front left of Ricciardo's Red Bull or Kimi's, Sebs and Bottas'. It wasn't your standard graining, there were blister galore on the Softs in FP2. They looked truly awful on the Renault in particular. However, given the delta between the soft and the medium in the loner stints between the Ferrari's and Mercs... they'll make a one stop work however they can, because two stops is just going to shuffle you backwards unless you are risking tyres blowing out.

My lap time prediction for pole? Wouldn't have gone with Ant's predicted time after I'd heard it, even though I think he's spot on. If Mercedes sort themselves out and get the balance right I can see them easily putting in a 1:25.8, if Ferrari were sandbagging to their usual degree (which given they had an entirely new floor I doubt) They're capable of a 1:25.5... so... I'll split the difference and say a pole around 1:25.7.

[morini]

Ooohhh, Hartley! That was a big impact, pleased to see him walk away.

[forzaferrari]

That was a massive suspension failure on Hartley`s TR