The timesheet is in for the only practice hour of the Chinese Grand Prix, Lando Norris having set the pace ahead of Charles Leclerc.

Formula 1’s first Sprint weekend of the F1 2025 championship got underway on Friday with the drivers limited to just one hour of running.

Lando Norris tops FP1 at the Chinese GP

As to be expected, it created a flurry of activity with all but three drivers into double digits at the halfway point. When the hour was up, it was Kimi Antonelli who finished with the most laps on the board – 27 for the Mercedes rookie.

Norris, meanwhile, was quickest of all having crossed the line with a 1:31.504 in a late run on the soft Pirelli tyres.

That put him 0.454s up on Charles Leclerc with Oscar Piastri third, a further two-tenths down.

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Lewis Hamilton was fourth for Ferrari, although most seven-tenths slower than Norris, with George Russell and Nico Hulkenberg completing the top six.

Max Verstappen, however, did not complete his soft tyre run, aborting the lap and finishing down in 16th place.

Chinese GP: Norris sees off Ferrari challenge with dominant benchmark in FP1

Chinese GP: FP1 times

1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:31.504
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.454
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.649
4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.691
5 George Russell Mercedes +0.873
6 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +1.003
7 Alexander Albon Williams +1.183
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.262
9 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +1.370
10 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls +1.430
11 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +1.463
12 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.480
13 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1.552
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.619
15 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.641
16 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +1.780
17 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.881
18 Liam Lawson Red Bull Racing +2.127
19 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +2.318
20 Jack Doohan Alpine +2.419

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