#ChineseGP FP1: @lance_stroll pips @OscarPiastri by 0.327s. #F1

Stroll Chinese GP FP1 – Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll pipped McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to top the sole practice session at the Chinese GP ahead of the Sprint Qualifying coming up later today as the Red Bull pairing of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez followed in third and fourth.

Stroll posted the session topping benchmark of a 1:36.302 on the C4 red side-walled Soft compounds and was 0.327 seconds faster than Piastri as championship leader Verstappen was a further 0.358 seconds adrift in third.

The Canadian leapfrogged Piastri in the end-of-the-session stints of soft tyre runs moments before the chequered flag, which no one else found enough time to beat.

Stroll’s surprise appearance at the head of the time-sheets defined the atypical classification locked in at the close of the hour-long session, as many teams went for varying run plans to prepare for the Sprint weekend.

Overcast conditions greeted the 20 drivers at the Shanghai International Circuit for the only practice of the weekend ahead of the first Sprint format of the 2024 campaign with the Sprint Qualifying coming later this afternoon to set the grid for tomorrow’s 100km Sprint race.

The drivers came out on a mixed range from the softs, mediums and hards to work on their varied programmes to get their cars up to speed for qualifying, the Sprint, the race Qualifying and Grand Prix to come.

A string of tentative tours on the Shanghai International Circuit opened the session as drivers got to experience the track for the first time in five years as home favourite Zhou Guanyu reported low grip levels as the new layer of tarmac had yet to be fully rubbered in.

The initial flyers were into the 1:40’s bracket, although Verstappen went to the top of the times after the Red Bull driver took the efforts below the 100-second barrier and continued to find pace on the yellow-branded mediums.

The red flag was brought out 15 minutes in due to a fire on a patch of grass at the side of the track at turn seven caused by a car bottoming out through the corner as the session stopped for five minutes.

When the session resumed with 41 minutes remaining after the fire was put out, the Williams pairing of Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant emerged on the mediums.

Verstappen’s effort on the medium rubber was disposed by the Ferrari duo who were running the softs; both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz went to the top after the session halt, demoting the Red Bull pairing down a couple of places.

Sainz initially got to P1, setting a 1:38.382 before Leclerc jumped his team-mate with the latter posting a 1:38.090 to press his advantage more.

After a string of continued stints on the mediums and hards respectively, several drivers opted to put on a set of softs to undertake qualifying simulation runs in the final 15 minutes of Free Practice 1.

Williams’ Sargeant set a 1:38.317 branding it “terrible”, whilst team-mate Albon then opted for a set of the C4 tyre to go even quicker with a 1:37.229.

Perez went under a tenth faster than the Thai-Briton driver; but this was a little more forewarning to Verstappen’s return to the top of the time-sheets; the reigning world champion setting as 1:36.660.

This remained as the session-topper for five minutes until Piastri entered the fray with a strong effort that shot the McLaren to the top with a 1:36.629. His team-mate Lando Norris was set to lower the benchmark even more with two purples in sectors one and two, only to abort his flying lap following hindering from traffic.

Stroll then demoted Piastri to second at the end of the session, shuffling both Verstappen and Perez to third and fourth respectively as Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg followed in fifth and sixth.

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, running a new floor to his A524 racer was seventh, in-front of Williams’ Albon who took eighth as RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas completed the top ten.

Home favourite Zhou Guanyu placed outside the top ten in 11^th place in the second Sauber and ahead of RB’s Yuki Tsunoda who took 12^th as the two Ferrari SF-24’s of Leclerc and Sainz ended up 13^th and 14th respectively whilst Williams’ Sargeant ended FP1 in 15^th.

McLaren’s Norris aborted his qualifying simulation run and wound up 16^th in the order and in-front of Mercedes duo Russell and Hamilton in 17^th and 18^th respectively as Aston Martin’s Alonso and Alpine’s Gasly brought up the rear.

You can see the full Formula 1 Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix 2024 Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2024/races/1233/china/practice-1.html

#F1 Lenovo #ChineseGP 2024 Preview. #Formula1 #ChinaGP