British Grand Prix: Valtteri Bottas handed five-place grid penalty

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Practice two: Top three

1 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1min 28.496secs

2 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:28.543

3 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:28.828

Scroll down for all the times in full 

Practice two report

Lewis Hamilton received a championship boost ahead of his home race of the Formula One season after Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas was dealt a five-place grid penalty for the British Grand Prix.

Bottas, the 27-year-old Finn fresh from his victory at the last round in Austria, continued his impressive form by edging out Hamilton in both practice sessions here at Silverstone on Friday.

But Bottas can now start no higher than sixth for Sunday's race after his Mercedes team were forced into an unscheduled gearbox change.

Hamilton served a five-place grid drop last weekend after he, too, had to take on a new gearbox following damage sustained at the previous round in Azerbaijan.

He started only eighth before he recovered to finish fourth.

Mercedes have been the class of the field at Silverstone, and - with Bottas effectively out of the running for the number one spot on the starting grid - Hamilton will be considered as the overwhelming favourite to secure his 67th career pole on Saturday.

Such a feat would leave him just one behind Michael Schumacher's all-time record. Hamilton, who is also bidding for a record-equalling fifth victory on home soil, has seen his preparations this week overshadowed by his no-show at a Formula One promotional event in London on Wednesday night.

Hamilton won from pole here in 2015, and again last year, and now the Englishman could do with another dominant victory as he bids to trim the 20-point margin to rival Sebastian Vettel at the summit of the championship.

''Today's been a really good start to the weekend and it's great to be back here at Silverstone,'' Hamilton said, before news of Bottas's grid penalty broke.

''The track is absolutely incredible with these new cars. It was already one of the very best circuits in the world, but with this car and the speed we are able to carry through the corners, it's just phenomenal, it's like the greatest rollercoaster ride ever.

''We worked through all the sessions, fine-tuning the balance and I think we're in a good position at this early stage of the weekend. We still need to build upon it, but it's a great foundation moving forward.''

Hamilton, on an apparent charm offensive after his name was jeered in London on Wednesday evening, added: ''Each time I left the garage I gave the fans a wave and I could see them waving back. I just want them to know that I can see them and I really appreciate all the love and support.''

Vettel, who has been so consistent this season, was only fourth here, four tenths of a second slower than the Mercedes pair. His Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who spun off the circuit during the second session, was also faster after he ended the day third in the order.

Aside from Hamilton's bizarrely-timed two-day holiday with friends to the Greek island of Mykonos - leading to him missing F1's live parade through London - the other talking point this week has been the decision taken by the British Racing Drivers' Club to trigger a release clause in its F1 contract after 2019.

Such a move means this year's event could be one of the final grands prix to be staged at the Northamptonshire circuit unless a new deal with F1's owners Liberty Media is agreed.

As expected, the British fans were out in force on Friday, with 350,000 spectators expected over the course of the weekend and a near sell-out crowd for Sunday's race.

Red Bull have brought a number of updates with them to Silverstone. 

Max Verstappen was fifth, 0.6secs slower than Bottas, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo sixth fastest. 

Fernando Alonso, who is set to serve a mammoth grid drop following a series of penalties for changes to his Honda engine, was ninth in his McLaren, while Britain's Jolyon Palmer, who took an unscheduled trip across the gravel, finished 18th in both practice sessions.

British Grand Prix: Practice two times in full

1 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1min 28.496secs

2 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:28.543

3 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:28.828

4 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:28.956

5 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:29.098

6 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:29.586

7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:29.936

8 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:30.006

9 Fernando Alonso (Spn) McLaren 1:30.238

10 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:30.383

11 Carlos Sainz Jr (Spa) Toro Rosso 1:30.555

12 Daniil Kyvat (Rus) Toro Rosso 1:30.562

13 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:30:624

14 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas 1:30:661

15 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:30.695

16 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:30.782

17 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas 1:30.835

18 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:30.879

19 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber 1:31.616

20 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber 1:31.929