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Lando Norris Tops Practice Session at the Chinese Grand Prix

Lando Norris showcased his skill during the sole practice session for the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, ultimately setting an impressive lap time that placed him ahead of the competition. With a remarkable time of 1m31.504s, the McLaren driver dominated the field, raising discussions about the team’s potential for the weekend.

Close behind Norris was Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who finished the session just 0.454 seconds slower. This performance indicated an improvement for Ferrari compared to their showing at the Australian Grand Prix. However, Leclerc was not without his struggles, as an error in the final corner on his last attempt hindered the performance of his teammate Oscar Piastri, who secured a solid third place.

The weather conditions in Shanghai were markedly different from those in Australia, with clear skies prevailing. However, drivers faced challenges with a strong tailwind that impacted their handling during the practice session.

This year’s event marked the first sprint race in the 2025 Formula 1 calendar, and the six rookie drivers had only this one-hour session to acclimate to the newly resurfaced Shanghai International Circuit.

Lewis Hamilton also made his presence felt, finishing fourth in the Ferrari, while George Russell secured fifth for Mercedes. Notably, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Williams’ Alex Albon showed strong performance, rounding out the top positions.

Despite setting his fastest time on medium tires, Max Verstappen ended the session in 16th place. This was a disappointing outcome for the Red Bull Racing driver, as he was among several rookies who struggled throughout the hour. Jack Doohan’s session was cut short due to a power steering issue with his Alpine, while fellow rookies Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson, and Isack Hadjar also encountered difficulties, with Lawson experiencing a run-off into the gravel early on.

Carlos Sainz aimed to turn around his fortunes after a challenging debut in Australia, where he crashed under the first safety car. While he initially set a competitive marker, he ultimately finished 15th, overshadowed by the McLaren duo’s exceptional pace early on.

Throughout the session, both Hamilton and Leclerc momentarily occupied the top spots, but Leclerc’s spin into the gravel at Turn 2 with 20 minutes remaining disrupted his momentum. Russell had been the fastest on medium tires before the final times dropped as the session concluded.

A red flag was raised due to Doohan’s car, which halted progress for the remaining teams as they prepared for a final qualifying session on soft tires, leading to a congested pit lane.

FP1 Results:

This practice session set the stage for an intriguing start to the race weekend, with teams eager to capitalize on their findings as they look towards sprint qualifying.

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