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FP1 Report: Verstappen heads weather-impacted first practice

Red Bull's Max Verstappen topped the timesheet of the first practice session of the Chinese Grand Prix marked by two lengthy red-flag periods and limited running.

The Dutchman got his timing right, achieving his best lap on intermediate tyres to end up 1.5s cleaf of Williams duo Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll.

The first red flag was initiated at the outset when adverse weather conditions prevented the medical helicopter from potentially flying.

When proceedings finally got underway after a 45-minute delay, rookie Lance Stroll went fastest on the still damp track before Verstappen took command.

Nico Hulkenberg's beached in the gravel trap at Turn 3 Renault brought out a virtual safety car, but when crews finally retrieved the Germans' car, weather once again grounded the helicopter.

In the end, with four minutes to go the session was called off, leaving neither the Mercedes or Ferrari drivers anywhere near the head of the field

Bottas succeeded in posting a timed lap but team mate Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen never accomplished a flying lap.

FP1 results

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap	Laps
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:50.491s		4
2	Felipe Massa	Williams	1:52.086s	+ 1.595s	7
3	Lance Stroll	Williams	1:52.507s	+ 2.016s	7
4	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso	1:52.840s	+ 2.349s	5
5	Romain Grosjean	Haas	1:53.039s	+ 2.548s	6
6	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	1:53.314s	+ 2.823s	4
7	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	1:53.520s	+ 3.029s	5
8	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	1:54.038s	+ 3.547s	7
9	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:54.664s	+ 4.173s	4
10	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	1:55.104s	+ 4.613s	8
11	Nico Hülkenberg	Renault	1:55.608s	+ 5.117s	6
12	Stoffel Vandoorne	McLaren	1:57.445s	+ 6.954s	4
13	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	2:15.138s	+ 24.647s	4
14	Antonio Giovinazzi	Sauber	2:15.281s	+ 24.790s	4
15	Jolyon Palmer	Renault			3
16	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari			2
17	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari			1
18	Esteban Ocon	Force India			2
19	Sergio Pérez	Force India			3
20	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes			2

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.