By Phil Huff
July 19 2008
First practice at Hockenheim has taken place in changeable conditions, but it was a predictable McLaren 1-2 at the top of the time sheets, ahead of both Ferrari's in third and fourth. Some good wet pace from the Honda Racing F1 drivers wasn't enough to lift Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello above 13th and 14th places respectively.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Engine | Car | Best Lap | Gap | |
| 1 | Hamilton | McLaren | Mercedes | MP4/23 | 1:15.025 | ||
| 2 | Kovalainen | McLaren | Mercedes | MP4/23 | 1:15.666 | 0.641 | |
| 3 |
Massa | Ferrari | Ferrari | F2008 | 1:15.722 | 0.697 | |
| 4 |
Raikkonen | Ferrari | Ferrari | F2008 | 1:15.760 | 0.735 | |
| 5 |
Webber | Red Bull | Renault | RB4 | 1:16.017 | 0.992 | |
| 6 |
Alonso | Renault | Renault | R28 | 1:16.163 | 1.138 | |
| 7 | Rosberg | Williams | Toyota | FW30 | 1:16.355 | 1.330 | |
| 8 |
Kubica | BMW Sauber | BMW | F1.08 | 1:16.363 | 1.338 | |
| 9 |
Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | BMW | F1.08 | 1:16.377 | 1.352 | |
| 10 |
Coulthard | Red Bull | Renault | RB4 | 1:16.378 | 1.353 | |
| 11 |
Vettel | Toro Rosso | Ferrari | STR3 | 1:16.422 | 1.397 | |
| 12 |
Trulli | Toyota | Toyota | TF108 | 1:16.530 | 1.505 | |
| 13 | Button | Honda | Honda | RA108 | 1:16.542 | 1.517 | |
| 14 | Barrichello | Honda | Honda | RA108 | 1:16.677 | 1.652 | |
| 15 |
Piquet | Renault | Renault | R28 | 1:16.734 | 1.709 | |
| 16 |
Glock | Toyota | Toyota | TF108 | 1:16.781 | 1.756 | |
| 17 | Nakajima | Williams | Toyota | FW30 | 1:16.821 | 1.796 | |
| 18 | Bourdais | Toro Rosso | Ferrari | STR3 | 1:16.860 | 1.835 | |
| 19 | Sutil | Force India | Ferrari | VJM01 | 1:17.008 | 1.983 | |
| 20 | Fisichella | Force India | Ferrari | VJM01 | 1:17.047 | 2.022 |
