Verstappen fastest in opening practice session at Silverstone

Max Verstappen set the fastest time in the opening practice session for the British Grand Prix as he looks to secure his sixth consecutive Formula One victory at Silverstone on Sunday.

Verstappen was 0.448s faster than teammate Sergio Perez, with Alex Albon impressing with the third fastest time for Williams, just 0.041s off Perez. 

Verstappen's lap was messy, with a missed apex at Abbey corner, a wide exit at Copse and brush of the grass at Chapel, but no one looked capable of coming close. 

The practice session had a few anomalies, with Mercedes opting not to use the fastest tyre compound during the hour of track action, and Ferrari and Alpine going relatively early in the session with their fastest laps when track conditions were not as good.

Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest for Aston Martin, 0.668s off Verstappen, with Charles Leclerc's Ferrari in fifth, 0.680s off the pace.

The stage looks set for another round of Red Bull domination, although wet weather during qualifying could mix up the order. The reigning champions have won every race this year, with Verstappen taking seven wins and Perez two.

Verstappen currently leads Perez by 81 points in the drivers' standings after winning the last five races, which have included four pole positions.

There are front wing updates on the Alpine and Mercedes this weekend, with both teams hoping to make a step in performance relative to their rivals.

AlphaTauri also has a significant upgrade to its car, with a new floor and sidepod design. Under pressure rookie driver Nyck de Vries secured 11th place in the opening practice session with teammate Yuki Tsunoda in 16th.