German Grand Prix: Nico Rosberg holds advantage over Lewis Hamilton in home comforts at Hockenheim

Rosberg went fastest in both practice sessions to seize the advantage in the championship battle with Hamilton

(Getty)

Home favourite Nico Rosberg completed a timely practice double over his championship rival Lewis Hamilton ahead of Sunday's German Grand Prix.

Rosberg trails Hamilton in the title race for the first time this season after watching his Mercedes team-mate win five of the last six races.

But the 31-year-old appears to hold a slight advantage over his rival in Hockenheim after topping both practice sessions during Formula One's return to Germany after a one-year absence.

Rosberg was comfortably faster than Hamilton with his best lap of one minute and 15.614 seconds in the afternoon, nearly four tenths faster than his team-mate.

The German, a winner of the opening four races, is now on the back foot in his pursuit of a first championship, after seeing his hearty 43-point lead turn into a six-point deficit.

Indeed since their dramatic crash on the opening lap of the Spanish Grand Prix in May, Hamilton has taken 135 points from 150 available, while Rosberg has won only once.

But Hamilton, for whom the early part of a championship defence was blighted by a number of technical problems, insists he has not changed his approach.

"I've been driving exactly the same as I have in the previous part of the year, but just not had any gearbox failure or engine problems," Hamilton said ahead of Formula One's final race before the three-week summer break.

"I am very much a believer in waves, and I've finally got on a good wave in the last six races, and hopefully the wave continues here this weekend."

Nico Rosberg topped the tables in both practice sessions (Getty)

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion, was the best of the rest on Friday, finishing in third, albeit more than half-a-second adrift of Rosberg.

The Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, who is celebrating his 100th grand prix start here, were fourth and fifth respectively.

Jenson Button was eighth fastest for McLaren while his team-mate Fernando Alonso, who was presented with a cake on Friday morning to celebrate his 35th birthday, finished 10th.

Jolyon Palmer, the British rookie who missed out on his first points finish in Formula One after spinning from 10th at the last race in Hungary, was replaced by Renault's French reserve driver Esteban Ocon in first practice.

Palmer returned to the cockpit on Friday afternoon, but was only 20th in the standings, three places and two tenths of a second shy of his Renault team-mate Kevin Magnussen.

Jenson Button was forced to go to hospital after a 'foreign body' became lodged in his eye (Getty)

Button, meanwhile, was taken to a nearby hospital after reporting an eye problem during practice.

"Jenson complained of an eye irritation during FP2, and has gone to Mannheim hospital to have a precautionary check-up", McLaren tweeted.

It was soon confirmed that Button had a “foreign body” removed from his eye and he returned to Hockenheim shortly afterwards.

Final Times after Second Practice:

1 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 1min 15.614secs

2 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:16.008

3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:16.208

4 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:16.456

5 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:16.490

6 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:16.512

7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Force India 1:16.781

8 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 1:17.087

9 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:17.148

10 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:17.225

11 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:17.342

12 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:17.367

13 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Williams 1:17.425

14 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:17.602

15 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:17.686

16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Renault 1:18.005

16 Esteban Gutierrez (Mex) Haas F1 1:18.005

18 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:18.130

19 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Manor Racing 1:18.193

20 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:18.313

21 Rio Haryanto (Ina) Manor Racing 1:18.591

22 Felipe Nasr (Bra) Sauber-Ferrari 1:19.295

PA