Pourchaire tops tricky F3 practice at Silverstone

Frenchman Théo Pourchaire ended the opening practice session of the British Grand Prix fastest with a late lap to topple FIA Formula 3 championship leader Oscar Piastri.

16-year-old Pourchaire is the only two-time race winner in F3 in 2020 and showed his pace with a 1:46:348, 0.115s quicker than Piastri in his PREMA.

Red Bull backed Hitech GP driver Liam Lawson was third fastest as he looks to bounce back from a double DNF at Hungary in round three. He was ahead of Jake Hughes who only got a handful of laps in at his home race but was quick once he got onto track.

It was a track with very little grip as many were sliding their way around the Silverstone circuit in unusually warm British weather.

Despite the 3.6 miles of track, drivers will still struggling with traffic as some backed off while others were pushing, David Beckmann was one of many to have a good lap baulked but was able to end the session fifth ahead of Logan Sargeant.

Alex Peroni was another to be blocked on a fast lap and he was lucky not to plough into the back Lukas Dunner who backed right off at the final corner. The Australian was seventh from Richard Verschoor, Calan Williams and Max Fewtrell to round out the top ten.

With Enaam Ahmed parting ways with Carlin at the eleventh hour, Ben Barnicoat steps in for the British team and he ended his first single-seater session in four years in twenty-third.