George Russell Quickest in FP1 in China

Considering that this free practice was the first and only one for the teams ahead of Sprint Qualifying, it made sense that this was a busy session. Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris found each other together on the track at one point early on, making small contact as Norris tried to overtake. Shortly into the session, Arvid Linblad brought his Racing Bulls to a stop off the track, triggering yellow flags before a Virtual Safety Car was deployed. His car was recovered but the rookie did not get more running time in before his first Sprint Qualifying. Franco Colapinto also had a hiccup, as his Alpine stopped in the pit lane and caused yellow flags. His pit crew was able to wheel the car back to the garage, where he eventually got going again.

By the end of the hour, it was Mercedes that had dominated yet again, with George Russell quickest followed by his teammate Kimi Antonelli. Norris and Piastri followed, the two McLaren drivers placing third and fourth respectively. It was another two teammates in the next spots, with Charles Leclerc driving to fifth, ahead of fellow Ferrari racer Hamilton in sixth. Ollie Bearman managed to be seventh fastest, with Verstappen, Hulkenberg, and Gasly rounding out the top ten.

Below are the full results of the first and only free practice in China.