Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think Verstappen is driving differently this year. I think he's more mature, he's taking fewer risks. I don't feel like he senses the same threat from Leclerc and Ferrari as he felt from Hamilton and Mercedes. He just looks that bit more formidable so far this year.

Max Verstappen completes his first push lap and hits a 1:31.438 to go top of the board.

However, the two Ferraris quickly bump the Red Bull driver down the pecking order, as Charles Leclerc banks a 1:30.786 to go quickest, with team-mate Carlos Sainz 0.094s behind the Monegasque driver.

There is a mix of tyres on parade in the opening few minutes of this session. Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen are on the mediums, we've got the McLaren boys on the hards and the two Alpines are trying out the soft compound.

Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

There was no meaningful running at all in FP1. Pretty much every single team has brought a raft of updates. Now is the chance for teams to finally get to grips with them and see how much they're giving them and how much they're not giving them.

Looks like the queue to get out of Silverstone on a Sunday night. Every car is desperate for valuable time on track.

Don't dawdle.

If like Lando, you feel bad declining a wedding invite, just tell the bride and groom they can get married between 15-17 July, as that's the only weekend available if you're an F1 fan this month.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport has sat down with Lando Norris before the British Grand Prix this weekend to get the McLaren driver's take on life in Formula 1.

In his column, Norris talks about his love of racing at Silverstone, having to turn down many wedding guest invitations, strange fan requests, golf and Monaco.

Read the full column here

The upgraded package over at Williams, which is very different to what we have seen in previous rounds, is in the hands of Alex Albon this weekend.

If you would prefer to see George Russell's face in HD, the 24-year-old had a chat with BBC Sport's Natalie Pirks about the problem with 'bouncing' cars, Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton and this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Image source, Getty Images

George Russell was merrily chucking caps into the crowd last night* and the 24-year-old told Rick Edwards on 5 Live Breakfast you can't beat the festival atmosphere at Silverstone.

Russell said: "Last year for the British Grand Prix, that was really eye-opening because we spent a year and a half during the covid times with no fans at any of the races. Then we came back to Silverstone and that was the first race we had fans back, with 350,000 fans across the course of the weekend, and it was like, whoa, this is what sport is about, this is what F1 is about.

"It gives you an extra buzz; it gives you an extra spring in your step for sure. It makes me feel like I need to go out there and put on a good performance for everybody."

*I really hope that little lad in the grey hoodie who was stood right in front of George, pleading for hat but was missed out, managed to get one in the end.

Image source, Getty Images

So, a smidgen of hope that the smoothness of the Silverstone surface can hand Mercedes an advantage this weekend - however small it may be.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner agrees. "I think [Mercedes] could well be quick here," he told Sky Sports. "It's a very smooth track, which allows them to run the car in the window which works well for them.

"We keep seeing flashes of promise and we saw in Montreal there was a stage when they were matching the lap time of what Max Verstappen was doing. I think with the upgrades they're talking about, they could well be competitive this weekend."

Jennie Gow
BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter

We had a fellow journalist on the Chequered Flag podcast who said it was going to be a British one, two, three at Silverstone - it had been a long day! - but imagine if it was? The place would go off the charts.

But I do see a whisper of an opportunity for Mercedes to get the win here - and that's exciting, because they have produced an eight-times, continuous, world championship car, to producing an absolute donkey. I mean, it's a horror show of a car.

But this circuit, it's smooth, very smooth. And this car likes a smooth circuit, so they have an opportunity to do well here.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

Several teams have taken significant technical developments to Silverstone as they seek to improve their performance.

Mercedes have extensive revisions to their so-far recalcitrant W13 car, centring on a new floor design that they hope will limit the bouncing that has afflicted the car so far this season and restricted its pace.

Mercedes also expect the track characteristics at Silverstone to help them make up some ground on front-runners Red Bull and Ferrari. The surface is smooth, which should limit their bouncing problems, and there are few slow corners to exacerbate the car's other big weakness.

Red Bull and Ferrari, however, also have upgrades for the weekend - both have a new engine cover aimed at improving airflow to the rear and increasing downforce.

Williams, the slowest team on the grid, have perhaps the biggest upgrade, with Red Bull-inspired side pods, while Alpine have a new floor as well as redesigned bodywork.

Image source, Getty Images

We only saw a brief glimpse of the Red Bulls out on track in first practice as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez spent most of their time out of the car in the garage.

Here's what team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports after the session: "It was a bit frustrating not to be able to do more laps but we are conserving tyres to use in FP2 - and maybe even FP3 - so we can't afford to burn through them; that's why plenty of cars were in the garage.

"It's frustrating when you can see half the track is dry but half the track is wet. Hopefully the next session will be a bit better."

Only 10 drivers banked a time early this afternoon, with Valtteri Bottas ending the hour top with a 1:42.2499. I suppose Lewis Hamilton can also receive a medal for most laps completed in that session? Clutching at straws here.