Red Bull's Max Verstappen quickest in FP2
Sister Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo fastest in FP1 but will start race from back after engine penalties
McLaren and Williams cars struggling at back of pack
Sebastian Vettel leads the drivers' championship, Lewis Hamilton second
The tyres are the ultrasofts, and the times are falling. Lewis Hamilton retakes the honour of being the quickest.
Mercedes (Hamilton, ultrasoft), Red Bull (Verstappen, ultrasoft), Ferrari (Vettel, soft) Mercedes (Bottas, ultrasoft), Ferrari (Raikkonen soft), Red Bull (Ricciardo (ultrasoft) are the top six.
Very early in the weekend, but it looks like it is going to be set up nicely for Sunday.
Image source, ReutersWe have just seen Kimi Raikkonen drift off the track as well. That's three men in no time at all - Hulkenberg, Bottas and Raikkonen - getting things wrong.
Someone who has got it right is Max Verstappen. The Dutchman now leads in Germany, thanks to an effort of 1:13.714, less than two tenths better than Bottas.
Image source, Formula 1 Twitter
Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live
Bottas went so wide, got on to the green paint and that has cost him a bit of time and maybe a bit of damage as well.
Valtteri Bottas also tries his luck going off-road.
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Some frantic work going on to Fernando Alonso's McLaren. The Spaniard is only 16th quickest, with no time from his team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne.
Two of those slower than Alonso are Antonio Giovinazzi and Nicholas Latifi, so in effect only Brendon Hartley is slower than Alonso.
Image source, Getty ImagesJolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live
Bottas found a huge amount of time on the ultrasofts to go top, but only two tenths quicker than Hamilton who has not gone on the ultrasofts yet.
Valtteri Bottas gets us going again, on the purple ultrasofts, and he instantly moves to the top the times thanks to a 1:13.903. Remember, Lewis Hamilton's best of 1:14.181 had come on the softs.
Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer
Image source, Getty ImagesSome more info on Ricciardo's penalty...
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo will start Sunday's German Grand Prix from the back of the grid because of penalties for using too many engine parts.
The Australian has had to take new examples of the MGU-K, a part of the hybrid system, the energy store (battery) and control electronics.
Red Bull preferred to take the new parts at this race to avoid penalties in Hungary next weekend.
That's because they expect to be more competitive at the Hungaroring.
The rules dictate that drivers are allowed to use only two of each of those parts this season and they are the third he has used so far.
Here are some stats for you Rachel.
Win 45 at Mercedes coming on Sunday? The world champion is the fastest so far today.
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Your reaction to the Mercedes contracts
Rachel T: Can you put a price on success? Lewis Hamilton certainly brings it! He is a proven winner, still with the hunger to absolutely loathe coming second. Having met him, I can also testify to the fact that he is a genuinely nice chap.
Sergio Perez of Force India has got himself into the points in the past two races and is the best of the rest so far today in first practice.
Solid from Renault as well, with Nico Hulkenberg eighth quickest and Carlos Sainz one place further back.
Forty minutes to go. No cars on the track at the moment. Where are ya?
Image source, F1No times on the board from Antonio Giovinazzi after his engine cover mysteriously flew off and also nothing to talk of from McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne. Fernando Alonso is only 15th of the 18 to set a time. So not another great day for McLaren so far.
Formula 2 Championship driver Nicholas Latifi is the slowest of the 18 to have set a time.
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As you can see there are big rewards for winning the German Grand Prix. You too can be chased down the circuit by a topless mulletted German and his dungarees-clad pal.
Your reaction to the Mercedes contracts
Jacqui Baker-Stubbs: Is Valtteri Bottas the new Rubens Barrichelllo. Happily second driver with the World Champ, doesn’t rock the boat. Thoughts?
Well, that didn't last long. Lewis Hamilton, on the softs, and with a new contract in the bag, goes even quicker.
With just over 50 minutes left these are the top six, the normal top six...
Daniel Ricciardo will be starting from the back on Sunday after parts of his engine have been changed. At the moment he is the fastest man out there thanks to a lap of 1:14.46, set on the purple ultrasofts.
Image source, ReutersIt's not just Sebastian Vettel who has been impressed with Charles Leclerc. This is what Felipe Massa wrote on Twitter earlier this week..
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Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer
Ferrari are expected to replace Kimi Raikkonen with rising star Charles Leclerc next season, as BBC Sport reported over the weekend of the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of last month. How does Vettel feel about it? “I like Kimi,” he said. “We get along. We have never any issue. Sometimes on track. I remember I drove into him, crashed into him. But I think the way we handle things is very similar, very straightforward, so I think it’s great to work with and great for the team, but it’s not my decision so we’ll see what happens. I’d be happy to continue like that, but it’s not for me to mention, to decide.
“Charles, one way or the other, will have a great career. He’s a great guy, he’s fast, he’s got everything, so yeah, definitely, he has no rush. He’s young, but if you’re young you’re always in a rush with everything. I don’t know when, what and ultimately who but as I said it really doesn’t matter to me. For me it’s clear where I am next but I think both of them would suit into the team.”
Image source, Getty ImagesWhat about the other Sauber driver?
Image source, Formula 1 Twitter