P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 Chinese GP: Stroll leads FP1 as small fire causes early red flag
In the final moments of the session, the Canadian driver surpassed Oscar Piastri’s effort to claim the top spot, which caught everyone off guard, as no one else had enough time to beat his lap. The session saw a unique order at the end, with teams following different run plans to prepare for the upcoming sprint weekend in China. The initial laps at the Shanghai circuit after five years were tentative, with Zhou Guanyu mentioning low grip levels due to the new bitumen layer not being fully rubbered in. Max Verstappen initially led the pack, breaking the 100-second barrier and continuing to improve on the medium tyre before a red-flag interrupted the session when a patch of grass caught fire due to a spark believed to be from a car bottoming out. After the restart, the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz took over the top positions, pushing Verstappen and Red Bull down the order. Following a series of race runs, drivers switched to soft tyres in the final 15 minutes, where Stroll seized the fastest time, leaving Verstappen and Piastri in third and fourth places as the session concluded.
