As for Maldonado in first practice, the left-rear wheel of his car became inexplicably detached.
Lewis Hamilton had said he was on the ragged edge ahead of this weekend and in first practice he went beyond it.
Wolff became the first female to take part in a Formula One race weekend in more than two decades in first practice at last year's British Grand Prix.
His best time of one minute 09.600 seconds was just 0.011 quicker than fellow German Rosberg, who had been the man to beat in first practice.
Ordinarily reserve drivers take part in first practice, however, on this occasion Force India opted to reverse the order, leaving Sutil on the sidelines in the afternoon.
Although there were other, more experienced names in the running, Chilton impressed in a young driver test at Silverstone in July and in first practice in Abu Dhabi in November.
Wolff, who is married to the Mercedes motorsport director, Toto Wolff, became the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in more than two decades in first practice at last year's British Grand Prix.
Williams suffered further in first practice when Felipe Massa went wide on the exit of Stowe and crashed after seven laps, while Mercedes Nico Rosbergg headed the session in front of team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
The Finn was followed by team-mate Romain Grosjean, with Hamilton only sixth and with a time three tenths of a second slower than his best in first practice.
Having never driven the circuit before, Verstappen made quite the debut: second fastest in first practice, just over a 10th of a second behind Lewis Hamilton, he went on to prove himself undaunted by the unforgiving circuit and was on a charge when he hit the back of Romain Grosjean's Lotus and went into the barrier at Sainte Dévote.
"We saw that in first practice.
