Russell sets the pace during FP1 in China

George Russell led a Mercedes 1-2 in the sole practice session for the Chinese Grand Prix, setting a benchmark time of 1m 32.741s to finish 0.120s ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli. McLaren’s Lando Norris secured third place in a session defined by heavy traffic and multiple disruptions, including yellow flags triggered by Arvid Lindblad and minor incidents involving Franco Colapinto and Lewis Hamilton. Despite initial data issues for Williams and persistent traffic concerns raised by drivers like Isack Hadjar, teams successfully transitioned to soft-compound tire runs in the final stages to prepare for the upcoming Sprint Qualifying.