Lando Norris kicked off the Chinese Grand Prix weekend in style, dominating Friday’s only practice session at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The McLaren drive posted a blistering 1m 31.504 to claim the top spot, outpacing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by four-tenths and edging teammate Oscar Piastri, who rounded out the top three positions.
With the Sprint format debuting this season in Shanghai, FP1 was a vital chance for teams to fine-tune setups ahead of Friday afternoon’s Sprint Qualifying.
Chinese Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results
The session roared to life at 11:30 local time, as Haas rookie Ollie Bearman led a pack of medium-shod cars onto the freshly resurfaced track, all eager to adapt to its newfound grip.
Early Drama and Track Evolution
The session wasn’t without hiccups. Red Bull’s Liam Lawson and Williams’ Alex Albon both veered into the gravel early on, with Albon later reporting a loose component near his pedals.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton briefly led the timesheets despite a hairy moment at the hairpin, only to be overtaken by Mercedes’ George Russell, who clocked a 1m 32.377 by the halfway mark—over a second faster than last year’s pole.
As the track continued to rubber in, conditions improved, but not everyone kept it clean. Leclerc spun at Turn 3, and Hamilton nodded to his infamous 2007 pit lane mishap with a wide entry on his return to the pits.
The session hit a snag when Alpine’s Jack Doohan stopped trackside with power steering woes, triggering a red flag and leaving just seven minutes on the clock after the restart.
Late Surge Seals the Order
A frantic final dash saw cars pile out of the pits, most switching to soft tires for a qualifying simulation. Leclerc briefly held P1 before Norris unleashed his chart-topping lap. Piastri, despite a wobble at the last corner, secured third.
Hamilton and Russell followed in fourth and fifth, while Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg impressed in sixth. Albon recovered to seventh, trailed by Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), and Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) in the top 10.
Further back, Bearman led a tight midfield from 11th, joined by Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, and Williams’ Carlos Sainz. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen struggled to 16th after abandoning his soft-tire lap, leaving him without a competitive time.
Lawson, Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber), and Doohan—who couldn’t resume—brought up the rear.
Looking Ahead
With FP1 in the books, teams now face a quick turnaround before Sprint Qualifying at 15:30 local time.
Norris’ pace signals McLaren’s early intent, but with the track’s evolution and the Sprint format’s unpredictability, the fight for pole remains wide open.
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