Hendrick Motorsports star William Byron reacts as F1 royalty Lewis Hamilton tops the FP1 at Silverstone

Hendrick Motorsports star William Byron has reacted to Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton topping the FP1 (Free Practice 1) session at the Silverstone Circuit ahead of the British Grand Prix. Byron expressed admiration for Hamilton’s competitiveness by insinuating that he was an artist at work.

Lewis Hamilton secured the first practice session (FP1) at the 2025 British Grand Prix, held at Silverstone, with the fastest lap time of 1:26.892 in his Ferrari. He pleased the home crowd as Hamilton is the most successful driver at Silverstone with nine British GP wins and continues to demonstrate his dominance at this famous circuit. Hamilton finished just ahead of the McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in second and third, respectively, while his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished fourth.

The session was marred with difficult gusty wind conditions, with a few drivers spinning at the high-speed Copse corner, but Hamilton was still able to showcase his pace amid the conditions. Hamilton's FP1 was a very promising indication after mixed forms since joining Ferrari, and it was anticipated that this session could lead to Hamilton’s resurgence ahead of the race weekend.

NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron reacted to Hamilton's impressive outing.

William Byron is a well-known American NASCAR driver who is currently full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet ZL1. Byron was born on November 29, 1997, and he is viewed as a rising star in the sport after winning the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship and multiple Rookie of the Year honors in the national series of NASCAR. Byron, one of the best drivers in NASCAR is known for his speed, consistency and competitiveness.

Recent highlights of Byron's career include winning back-to-back Daytona 500s in 2024 and 2025, a highly exclusive accomplishment among NASCAR drivers.

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William Byron calls out Joey Logano for letting Ross Chastain ruin his Charlotte dominance

William Byron, who dominated the Coca-Cola 600 by leading a race-high 283 laps, publicly criticized Joey Logano for his driving in the closing stages, which Byron believes allowed Ross Chastain to catch up and ultimately overtake him for the win.

Byron pointed out that Logano’s erratic movements through Turns 3 and 4 disrupted his momentum, enabling Chastain to close the gap and execute a late-race slide job to claim victory. Despite Byron’s frustration, he managed to finish second, narrowly missing out on what would have been a commanding win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

"He (Logano) was doing the usual. What I didn't like is he just kept moving around at 3 and 4, I don't know what he was doing," Byron said via Noah Lewis (2:10 onwards).

Ross Chastain’s victory was remarkable, especially considering he started the race from last place after crashing during practice and having to use a backup car. Chastain’s pit crew played a crucial role with flawless pit stops, helping him gain vital track position. His win marked his sixth career Cup Series victory and his first at the 1.5-mile Charlotte track.