This session has finished. No further updates will be posted.
And with that, practice is done in Shanghai. Not a great start to the weekend for Doohan as he will head into the sprint race qualifying session having done no laps on the soft tyres. Here’s our report.
That brings the session to an end with Norris comfortably fastest ahead of Leclerc.
Norris finds almost six tenths of a second to go fastest. Leclerc takes a tenth back but it’s still a strong time by the McLaren driver. Oscar Piastri goes third with a poor final sector.
The chequered flag falls. Lawson, who’s only 17th, crosses the line.
Will Joseph tells Norris: “The main opportunity is turn eight.” “Yeah I know, that’s obvious,” he replies.
Max Verstappen doesn’t complete his lap – he did personal best times in the first two sectors but was some way off the others.
An encouraging run for Oliver Bearman, after his tough weekend in Melbourne, to put the Haas up into ninth.
Leclerc does a 1’32.103, Hamilton gets within a tenth of a second of him. Norris, who did the fastest first sector time, then splits the Ferraris.
Albon goes fastest in the first sector and the Williams driver jumps up to second on his softs. Russell ahead of him failed to improve his soft tyre time – Mercedes weren’t immediately faster on the softer rubber last weekend either.
Sainz leads Alexander Albon, Russell, Lawson and Bortoleto out as the session resumes.
The session is about to resume which will leave drivers with enough time to do a qualifying practice run on softs.
Problem for Jack Doohan, he’s stopped by the edge of the track. “No power steering. Car has switched off. Let me know your instructions.” The session is red-flagged.
Lewis Hamilton runs wide at the pit lane entrance – scene of the notorious incident in 2007 – but it’s asphalt there and not gravel the days, so he makes it in.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli reports he’s blistering his front-left tyre. He’s told other drivers are struggling with that. Track temperatures are a toasty 37C.
Leclerc’s had a spin at turn two and makes it as far as the gravel, some of which he drags onto the circuit as he rejoins.
Gabriel Bortoletos rooted to the bottom of the times at the moment, the best part of three seconds off the pace. Liam Lawson is second from last in the Red Bull.
Russell complains his radio reception is “not very good” as he passes by the pits, where it should be best.
Fernando Alonso is not particularly reassured to hear a snap of oversteer was caused by a gust of wing. “Yeah, but it’s for everybody,” he says. “I mean, it’s not the wind following us.”
Pierre Gasly: “Guys, all the switches are wrong on this wheel.” The Alpine driver is 12th so far.
Yuki Tsunoda’s DRS flap is vibrating significantly at speed. Racing Bulls have work to do there. The FIA has introduced a new rear wing flexibility test this weekend.
All drivers have lapped on the medium rubber so far. Carlos Sainz Jnr leading the midfielders so far, a second off Russell’s pace.
As we hit the 20 minute mark Russell finds a significant step in the Mercedes, pulling half a second clear of Leclerc at the top of the times.
Times so far:
1. Charles Leclerc: 1’32.877
2. George Russell: 1’33.017
3. Lewis Hamilton: 1’33.171
4. Andrea Kimi Antonelli: 1’33.219
5. Max Verstappen: 1’33.284
Lots of improvements at the moment. George Russell beats Russell’s time, then Norris goes quicker through the first sectors then runs wide at the turn 14 hairpin and ducks into the pits.
But it’s only temporary as Lewis Hamilton, also running on the mediums, pips that by a tenth of a second.
Oscar Piastri moves up to the top of time with a 1’33.336 which puts him two-hundredths of a second up on is team mate.
The first practice session for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix is coming up next.
2025 Chinese Grand Prix
- Red Bull reassure Verstappen over ‘when we’ll have a winning car again’ in meeting
- Mercedes explain impact of Antonelli’s floor damage on his Chinese GP performance
- “I gave a lot of lap time away in that first stint”: Verstappen’s full Chinese GP radio
- Stats: Chinese Grand Prix saw most disqualifications in an F1 race for 21 years
- Even the best driver on the grid needs a team mate to push them – Norris
