Friday, 4th July 2008

Ferrari's Felipe Massa posted the fastest time in opening practice for the British Grand Prix, but sat out the final third of the session after crashing.

The rest of the top ten had a slightly unfamiliar feel as Sebastian Vettel and Nelson Piquet Jr filled the next couple of places for Toro Rosso and Renault, with David Coulthard and Nico Rosberg completing the top half of the order. Vettel's pace was backed up by team-mate Sebastien Bourdais, returning to Silverstone for the first time since his successful F3000 campaign in 2002, in 14th spot, the Frenchman pushing himself ahead of Jarno Trulli's Toyota and the Hondas of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.

Bourdais was only a fraction slower than the second BMW Sauber of Nick Heidfeld, as the German again made a slow start to a grand prix weekend, while Mark Webber and Timo Glock - who suffered an early spin as well as his Alonso-inspired moment - filled the gap in eleventh and twelfth.

Button and Barrichello continued to struggle with the Honda RA108, sandwiching the two 'local' Force Indias at the foot of the times.

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