George Russell delivered an impressive performance during the first practice session of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. The Mercedes driver topped the timesheets, finishing ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Highlights from Practice Session
The session took place at the Shanghai International Circuit. It began promptly at 11:30 AM local time, providing teams with just one hour to prepare for the season’s inaugural Sprint. Early in the session, drivers quickly filled the track, leading to various incidents and fast lap times.
Key Incidents
- Franco Colapinto in Alpine experienced a spin at Turn 9.
- Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton almost collided while racing together, but the stewards decided no further action was needed.
- Hamilton later spun off at Turn 6.
- Isack Hadjar expressed frustration over traffic, calling it “unbearable.”
- Arvid Lindblad from Racing Bulls had to retire after pulling off the track at Turn 14.
Session Overview
As the session progressed, Russell set a best lap of 1:34.169, maintaining the fastest time ahead of Charles Leclerc and Antonelli. Some drivers, including Hamilton, switched to softer tires, increasing their speed as the session neared its midpoint.
After resolving a data issue, Carlos Sainz managed to join the track with just 20 minutes remaining. However, Lindblad’s session ended prematurely due to his earlier incident.
Final Times and Standings
In the closing minutes, Russell extended his lead further with a final lap time of 1:32.741. The standings at the end of the session were:
| Position | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:32.741 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 0.120s behind |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | Time not stated |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | Time not stated |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | Time not stated |
The session concluded with notable performances, including Ollie Bearman from Haas claiming seventh place, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished eighth. The attention now shifts to Sprint Qualifying, scheduled for 3:30 PM local time on Friday.
