With the weekend heatwave beginning, the sun and the temperature are as fierce as the excitement surrounding Silverstone and local favourite Lewis Hamilton before first practice for the British Grand Prix
Jenson Button, Hamilton's McLaren team-mate, also flies the flag for the host nation but shares the distraction of rumours of ill-feeling between the pair this week
The man to take advantage of any slip by the McLarens is German Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull who leads first practice with a time of 1:32.280, ahead of Hamilton 0.334 seconds behind
Vettel's teammate Mark Webber finishes first practice in fourth on a track that could favour the Red Bulls, second only to McLaren in both constructor's and driver's championships
Away from the rising intensity on the track, Hamilton, who hits a bump in the track on the approach to Abbey, has rivals and stratagems to discuss with McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh
Button, meanwhile, has to swap a front wing to make the most of the partially-redesigned Silverstone circuit while there are also problems for Michael Schumacher, Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi
Schumacher is not having a good morning - the seven-times World Champion spins at Turn 13, reports a problem at Turn 11, has a spat with teammate Nico Rosberg and ends first practice in ninth
A man also having problems with the new layout, and who knows something of rivalry with Hamilton and challenging for the drivers' championship, is Fernando Alonso, 13th in practice in the Ferrari
Conversely, Robert Kubica of Poland and Renault, sixth in the drivers' championship, has a blinding run, coming third in a car that has only once qualified, and twice finished, in the top three this season
Alonso, not running Ferrari's F-duct, and teammate Felipe Massa (who is), have it all to do in second practice if they are to at least snatch a win from McLaren or Red Bull at one of the showpiece Grands Prix
Vettel is soon out for second practice as the 23-year-old senses opportunity at Silverstone if he can get the track right, but soon back in to the garage as teammate Webber records a new fastest lap
Virgin Racing's Glock and Di Grassi still fail to tickle the fastest lap times, both stuck around 20th in second practice, while Adrian Sutil of Force India is on the radio to his team to ask for tweaks to his machine
Sebastien Buemi has a run in with Nico Hulkenberg, Hamilton and Massa each have problems on the new section of the circuit, and Vettel gets the second-fastest lap despite getting Copse and Stowe wrong
The trouble in the field leaves a gap for Alonso who sneaks the second-best lap of second practice between the two Red Bulls, 0.392 seconds behind Webber, 0.249 seconds ahead of Vettel; Hamilton is eighth, Button is 13th
Though there may be disappointment in the British drivers' showing in practice, British racing can be proud of the crowds that pack Friday at Silverstone, celebrating it's 60th anniversary this weekend
What are these?
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?