The Chinese Grand Prix weekend got underway with the sole Free Practice session ahead of Sprint Qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit, with Lando Norris setting the early pace.
On a freshly laid track surface, drivers struggled to get to grips with the layout, with snaps of oversteer prevalent throughout the session - Alex Albon and Charles Leclerc notably running off the track in the early stages.
With 13 minutes remaining, the red flags were shown after Jack Doohan's Alpine came to a halt at Turn 10 as the Australian reported a loss of power steering over the radio.
FP1: Norris leads Leclerc and Piastri during sole Chinese Grand Prix practice session
Qualifying simulations after the interruption then saw Lando Norris move to the top by 0.454s from Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, who ran into the gravel at the final corner. Max Verstappen aborted his soft tyre run and finished 16th, with Red Bull team mate Liam Lawson 18th.
George Russell had topped the order for Mercedes on medium tyres, but dropped to fifth in the closing stages.
Hit go on the video player above to watch the highlights from FP1.
Next Up
Related Articles
UnlockedWhy Lawson's China performance showed how far he's come
Haas’ best off-track moments 10 years on from their debut
Behind the scenes of an F1 team kit launch
Antonelli ‘would love’ to do an endurance race with Verstappen
UnlockedTrivia: Guess the track
What time is the 2026 Japanese GP and how can I watch it?