Lando Norris tops Chinese Grand Prix practice

McLaren’s Lando Norris set the tempo from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in Friday apply on the Chinese language Grand Prix.

Norris was 0.454 seconds faster than Leclerc with a lap proper on the finish of the one session earlier than dash qualifying afterward Friday.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was third quickest regardless of working extensive into the gravel on the remaining nook, ending up 0.649secs off the tempo.

Norris additionally left a while on the desk on his quickest lap, washing extensive by means of the lengthy Flip One.

Lewis Hamilton was fourth quickest for Ferrari, 0.691secs off the tempo, forward of Mercedes’ George Russell, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, Williams’ Alex Albon and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

Max Verstappen was on a lap that might have put him quickest on the time a couple of minutes earlier than Norris set his pace-setting lap – solely to abort it and are available into the pits. The world champion ended the session in sixteenth place in his Pink Bull.

The timing sectors prompt Verstappen would have set a time about 0.3-0.4secs behind what turned Norris’ pace-setting lap.

Even so, Verstappen was 0.347secs quicker than team-mate Liam Lawson, who was 18th.

Quite a few drivers had off-track moments as they reacquainted themselves with the Shanghai observe, which has been freshly resurfaced for this yr’s race, together with Norris and Leclerc.

However there have been no main incidents, aside from a short pink flag to get better the stricken Alpine of Jack Doohan, who stopped on observe when the automotive lower out.

Dash qualifying begins at 07:30 UK time. It units the grid for the dash race on Saturday, after which there’s the standard qualifying session for the grand prix.