German Grand Prix: Nico Rosberg strikes first to outpace Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari and Red Bull struggle

German outpaces Hamilton on home soil but rest of the field over a second slower than Rosberg's fastest time

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Lewis Hamilton trailed Nico Rosberg in opening practice for the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim on Friday.

Hamilton, who has taken charge of the championship for the first time this season following his victory in Hungary last weekend, was one third of a second slower than his Mercedes team-mate.

Rosberg, who has seen his 43-point lead in the title race turn into a six-point deficit in the space of just six races, posted a best lap of one minute and 15.517 seconds in front of his home crowd to lay down a marker to Hamilton.

Mercedes have won all bar one of the opening 11 grands prix this season, and they were comfortably quicker than the rest of the field here.

Indeed Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion, was over one second adrift of Rosberg's best lap with his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen next in the order.


 Vettel was more than a second slower than Rosberg despite finishing third 
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The Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, making his 100th grand prix appearance in the sport this weekend, were fifth and sixth respectively.

Fernando Alonso, who was presented with a cake by his McLaren team to celebrate his 35th birthday, was seventh in opening practice while Jenson Button finished eighth, more than four tenths of a second slower than his McLaren team-mate.

Final Times after First Practice:

1 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 1min 15.517secs

2 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:15.843

3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:16.667

4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:16.852

5 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:16.927

6 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:17.089

7 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:17.183

8 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 1:17.612

9 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:18.008

10 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:18.044

11 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:18.198

12 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Williams 1:18.210

13 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:18.322

14 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:18.589

15 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Force India 1:18.591

16 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:18.628

17 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Haas F1 1:18.882

18 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Renault 1:18.933

19 Felipe Nasr (Bra) Sauber-Ferrari 1:18.961

20 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Renault 1:18.981

21 Rio Haryanto (Ina) Manor Racing 1:19.167

22 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Manor Racing 1:19.975

PA