SILVERSTONE: Champion Max Verstappen led a Red Bull one-two ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in the first practice of the Formula One British Grand Prix on Friday.
The championship leader clocked 1 minutes 28.600 seconds around the5.891-kilometre Silverstone Circuit, ahead of second fastest Perez by 0.448 second. Alex Albon of Williams was a surprise and posted the third best time.
Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin was fourth, while Ferrari were fifth and seventh with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz respectively.
Racing at home, Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were 12th and 14th respectively, both reporting that bouncing in the car was "very bad."
Verstappen tops the drivers' championships with 229 points, 81 more than Perez.
After environmental activists last year walked onto the track during the opening lap, Silverstone has worked alongside the police to increase security ahead of this weekend's event as they prepare for potential new protests.
International sporting events have been regularly targeted by protesters, with Just Stop Oil activists interrupting play at Wimbledon this week.
During the weekend, Silverstone will also be hosting the filming fora Formula 1-inspired movie, which Hamilton is helping to produce and with Hollywood star Brad Pitt in the role of a F1 driver.
As part of the filming, the fictional Apex GP team, for whom Pitt will drive in the movie, have been given a garage in the pit lane between the garages belonging to Ferrari and Mercedes.
Pitt is to be filmed racing an adapted Formula 2 car ahead of the second practice session later on Friday.
-- dpa
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