Cloudy. Dry. Air +24C, highway +42C
For the fifth year after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Formula 1 returned to China, immediately in a renewed format with a Saturday sprint. The new generation of ground effect cars have not yet been raced in Shanghai, nor have they been raced with 18-inch tires. There were a lot of questions, so during the only one-hour practice this weekend the track was not empty.
There were also questions about the coating. The organizers repaired some spots with bitumen, the drivers decided that this was paint that could be too slippery, so the FIA had to make an official statement: the coating is certified, there are no questions. But at the start of the session everyone complained about the lack of grip.
The first and only Chinese Formula 1 driver to drive for Sauber, Guanyu Zhou, was one of the first to drive.
After 15 minutes the session was stopped with red flags – the grass caught fire at the seventh corner and by the time the marshal arrived with a fire extinguisher, a small area had managed to burn out.
Gasly had to jump from the cockpit due to battery insulation problems. Alonso and Piastri entered safety zones without any consequences for the cars. Otherwise the session went without any problems.
The best time was set by Lance Stroll, who completed a lap in 1:36.302. There will be no more training this weekend in the run-up to qualifying for the sprint.
Results of the first session
| Pilot | Team | Time | Difference | Circles |
| 1. L. Walk | Aston Martin | 1:36,302 | – | 21 |
| 2. O. Piastri | McLaren | 1:36,629 | +0.327 | 24 |
| 3. M. Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:36,660 | +0.358 | 25 |
| 4. C. Perez | Red Bull | 1:36,690 | +0.388 | 24 |
| 5. N. Hulkenberg | Hare | 1:37.101 | +0.799 | 23 |
| 6. K. Magnussen | Hare | 1:37.118 | +0.816 | 23 |
| 7. E. Okon | Alps | 1:37.213 | +0.911 | 23 |
| 8. A. Elbon | Williams | 1:37,229 | +0.927 | 19 |
| 9. D. Ricciardo | RB | 1:37,238 | +0.936 | 25 |
| 10. V. Bottas | Sauber | 1:37,530 | +1,228 | 24 |
| 11. G.Zhou | Sauber | 1:37,626 | +1,324 | 24 |
| 12. Yu.Tsunoda | RB | 1:38.006 | +1,704 | 27 |
| 13. S. Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:38,090 | +1,788 | 20 |
| 14. K. Sainz | Ferrari | 1:38,284 | +1,982 | 19 |
| 15. L. Sargent | Williams | 1:38,286 | +1,984 | 23 |
| 16. L.Norris | McLaren | 1:38,630 | +2,328 | 21 |
| 17. D. Russell | Mercedes | 1:38,806 | +2,504 | 21 |
| 18. L.Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:38,839 | +2,537 | 24 |
| 19. F. Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:38,936 | +2,634 | 22 |
| 20. P. Gasly | Alps | 1:39,276 | +2,974 | 21 |
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
