P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 Chinese GP: Stroll leads FP1 as small fire causes early red flag
In a surprising turn of events, the Canadian driver intervened in the final moments of the session, managing to outpace Oscar Piastri’s effort and claim the top spot on the timesheets before the session ended. The session saw an unconventional order as teams adopted varied run plans to prepare for the upcoming sprint weekend in China. Grip levels were reported to be low at the Shanghai circuit due to a new bitumen layer that had not been fully rubbered in, resulting in tentative laps by drivers. The session was briefly halted when a patch of grass by the track spontaneously caught fire, suspected to be caused by a spark from a car bottoming out. Despite the disruption, the session saw competitive lap times, with the Canadian driver eventually reclaiming the fastest time before the chequered flag fell. Red Bull was pushed down to third and fourth positions as Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll topped the session, followed by Haas drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen in fifth and sixth positions. McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas completed the top ten fastest times of the session.
