Kris Holland
BBC Radio Northampton

There have been leaden skies overhead for most of the morning here at Silverstone so far today.

But the sun is now shining on the paddocks, where team personnel and their support vehicles are camped for the weekend.

It's also a hive of activity for the world's press...

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

So there we have it then...

Valtteri Bottas set the pace as Mercedes dominated first practice at the British Grand Prix.

The Finn, who won in Austria last Sunday, was 0.078 seconds quicker than team-mate Lewis Hamilton, as the two swapped fastest times through the session.

Hamilton's main title rival Sebastian Vettel was only sixth quickest, 1.411secs off the pace after a big spin at the fast Becketts curves and a trip over the kerbs at Village.

Hamilton is 20 points behind Vettel in the championship, Bottas 15 more behind.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

Ross Heaton
BBC Oxford Sport

Sunday's British Grand Prix could be one of the last to take place at Silverstone after the track's owners activated a break clause in their contract with Formula 1.

Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford's Ross Heaton, Valtteri Bottas, who drives for the Brackley-based Mercedes team, said it would be a hard race to replace.

Top Gear, external has the answer.

1) Bottas 2) Hamilton 3) Verstappen 4) Ricciardo 5) Raikkonen 6) Vettel 7) Kvyat 8) Alonso 9) Massa 10) Vandoorne

11) Sainz 12) Ocon 13) Perez 14) Grosjean 15) Stroll 16) Giovinazzi 17) Hulkenberg 18) Palmer 19) Wehrlein 20) Ericsson.

10/10 for effort, you have to say...

Image source, Getty Images

Great Britain has produced more F1 drivers than any other nation - 144 out of a total of 695.

Not much between Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. Bottas is P1 with Lewis Hamilton 0.078s behind in P2.

Neither of the Mercedes have given the super-softs ago, will they leave the compound be for this session? Just six minutes left to go.

• Silverstone hosted the inaugural Formula 1 world championship race in 1950 and has staged every British Grand Prix since 1987.
• However, the first use of Silverstone as a race circuit is said to have been in 1947. A group of 11 friends from the nearby village of the same name held an unauthorised race over a two-mile circuit around the airfield. During the race, one driver hit a sheep that wandered into the path of the cars, resulting in the informal race being known as the Mutton Grand Prix.

Image source, Getty Images

• The track is one of only four grand prix circuits from the first year of the world championship to remain a part of today's F1 calendar (the others being Monaco, Spa and Monza).
• And together with Italy, Britain is the only country to have held a grand prix in every year of the world championship since 1950.
• Although the track is officially located in the county of Northamptonshire, part of it crosses the border into Buckinghamshire.

As we've been reporting, Formula 1 is back at Silverstone, but for how much longer?

Of course, it is not the first time the future of the grand prix in Northamptonshire has been in doubt; and if history is any indication, it may not be the last...

• 1987: After sharing duties with other circuits, Silverstone becomes the permanent home of the British Grand Prix.
• 1999: F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone announces the race will move from Silverstone to a redeveloped Brands Hatch (pictured below hosting the GP in the 1970s) - the move never happens.
• 2000: The race is held in April rather than May, resulting in a mud bath for fans and damage and delays at car parks.
• 2002: Ecclestone is forced to drive to the race when his helicopter can't land at the circuit. His driver gets lost and he describes the event as totally disorganised. The GP organiser at Silverstone resigns.

• 2003: An intruder gets on the track following a race, sparking security concerns.
• 2005: When the provisional race calendar is published, Silverstone isn't included. Silverstone offered more money and is allowed to host the race.
• 2008: It's announced the race will head to Donington in 2010 under a new 10-year contract. Money needed to make the move happen never arrives.
• 2009: Silverstone signs a new 17-year deal to host the event.
• 2017: The event's future is in doubt again.

It's been a pretty low key session so far with not a great deal of running.

A number of fans entertain themselves by chatting to the chap that dresses up as the orange Max Verstappen lion.

Just under 45 minutes to go.

The future of the British Grand Prix has been left uncertain after Silverstone's owner confirmed it had activated a break clause to cease hosting the race after 2019.

It became the event's permanent home in 1987 but that status has been in doubt several times over the years.

We've been taking a look...

Image source, .

Lewis Hamilton is chasing his fourth straight British Grand Prix win, and fifth in total.

The late Jim Clark, who also won five, is the only driver to have won four British GPs in a row.

Hmm. Sebastian Vettel, sans shield, makes a mistake coming out onto to Chapel. The back end snaps away as he takes the corner and he spins.

Vettel pits to see if that resulted in any damage. Didn't look like it, though.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Silverstone's decision to end its contract to hold the British Grand Prix after 2019 does not necessarily mean there will not be a British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 2020 and beyond.

If that sounds confusing, bear with me.

Silverstone signed a 17-year contract with former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone back in 2009 that meant it had to pay £12m for the race in 2010. But the deal had a 5% annual escalator built into it and a break clause after 2019.

The fee has now gone up sufficiently that Silverstone cannot continue to hold the race and break even, let alone make a profit. So it felt it had no choice but to exercise the get-out clause, which contractually needed to be done before this year's race.

But Silverstone still wants the British Grand Prix after that date and Formula 1 still wants one too. The rub, of course, is that the race does not necessarily have to be held at Silverstone.

A street race in London has been long rumoured as a possible alternative.

F1's new chairman Chase Carey told BBC Sport this week that it was his "priority" for the event to stay at Silverstone, but that there was "interest from other places, other UK options, that would have appeal".

It's not clear what these are, plural. But one of them is a much-rumoured potential street race somewhere in the east of London. Whether that is realistic is a different question.

For Silverstone to continue as host, F1 and the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) now have two years or so to try to hammer out a mutually satisfactory deal.

4: Wins at the British Grand Prix for Britain's Lewis Hamilton, including the last three in a row

52: Number of laps in Sunday's race

1950: Year that Silverstone hosted the first Formula 1 Grand Prix

Image source, Getty Images

5.891: Length of the 2017 race circuit in kilometres (about 3.6 miles)

10,000: The amount of ketchup in litres that is estimated will be used in catering trucks around the circuit on Sunday alone

Image source, Getty Images

1:33.401: The lap record, set by Australian driver Mark Webber in 2013

BBC Sport

If you're wondering how you can follow the Formula 1 over the weekend, then wonder no longer.

Here's your handy guide to following the British Grand Prix on the BBC...

Kris Holland
BBC Radio Northampton

Full in-depth coverage of practice day can be found over on BBC Sport - with the drivers taking to the track from 09:00.

However, stay with us for highlights of the practice sessions and to get all the behind-the-scenes action and atmosphere as thousands of fans descend on south Northamptonshire.

Image source, Getty Images

If you're heading to Silverstone today, remember to expect those queues on the roads, and a quick look at the forecast - not too bad at all!