SPIELBERG, Austria -- Lewis Hamilton posted the quickest-ever lap of the Red Bull Ring to go fastest in opening practice, beating Max Verstappen by 0.190s.
Having lost victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix due to an issue with his headrest, Hamilton continued his impressive form from that weekend to go top on a 1:05.975. That time is already a big improvement on 2016's pole time -- which was set on a drying track in Austria -- and the Q2 benchmark of 1:06.228 set in dry conditions. The three-time world champion set his quickest time on the soft compound tyre, suggesting there is much more pace to come.