Chinese Grand Prix FP1: Norris sets the benchmark ahead of Leclerc and Piastri
Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool
Lando Norris showcased impressive speed during the sole practice session at the Chinese Grand Prix, with the McLaren driver topping the timesheets ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and teammate Oscar Piastri.
Amid the hectic start to the first Sprint format weekend of the season in Shanghai, FP1 provided a vital window for teams to fine-tune their setups and prepare for Sprint Qualifying later in the day.
As the session began at 11:30 local time, Haas' Ollie Bearman led a procession of cars onto the track, all equipped with medium tires. Bearman, a rookie, was looking to rebound from a challenging debut in Melbourne. Early incidents saw Red Bull's Liam Lawson and Williams' Alex Albon take brief excursions into the gravel, with Albon reporting "something loose" around the pedals of his FW47.
Following resurfacing since F1's last visit, the Shanghai International Circuit offered significant grip as times dipped rapidly. Lewis Hamilton initially set the pace, despite a slide through the hairpin, but was soon surpassed by his former Mercedes teammate, George Russell.
By the halfway point, Russell had recorded a session-leading 1m 32.377s, half a second clear of Leclerc and over a second faster than the previous year's pole position time. However, the session was not without its challenges. Leclerc spun at Turn 3, and Hamilton mimicked his 2007 pit lane misadventure with a minor off-track moment on his way to the pits.
A red flag was necessitated when Alpine's Jack Doohan encountered a power steering issue, halting track activity briefly. Upon the session's resumption, a flurry of activity ensued as drivers sought to capitalize on the remaining seven minutes with soft tire runs.
After initial times, it seemed Leclerc would lead the session, until Norris posted a 1m 31.504, placing him four-tenths ahead. Piastri followed closely in third, notwithstanding a wide moment at the final corner. Hamilton secured fourth ahead of Russell, with Nico Hulkenberg impressing in sixth for Kick Sauber. Albon claimed seventh, while Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, and Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top ten.
Bearman, along with Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Esteban Ocon (Haas), Alpine's Pierre Gasly, and Williams' Sainz, occupied positions 11 through 15. Max Verstappen of Red Bull was down in 16th after aborting his lap on soft tires, ending without a representative time.
Trailing Verstappen were Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar, Lawson in Red Bull, Kick Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, and Doohan, who could not rejoin following his car issues.
With the sole practice session complete, teams and drivers will now swiftly analyze data before focusing on Sprint Qualifying, set to commence at 15:30 local time.
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