China – Free Practice 1: Symbolic best time for Verstappen after a very short foggy session
Due to bad weather and the inability of the medical helicopter to operate, this first Chinese session lasted just 23 minutes. In the absence of a search for performance, the drivers experimented with the Italian manufacturer's 2017 rain tires in real-life conditions. As a reminder of his show at Interlagos, Verstappen set the fastest time of the session.
As in Australia, Haas and Magnussen opened hostilities, but they were short-lived because after a few minutes the management decided to suspend the session. The reason was the inability of the medical helicopter to take off due to the thick fog over the track.
No on-track action, the 50-minute interruption cut the session by more than half. The opportunity allowed teams to chat and have fun on Twitter to pass the time.
@McLarenF1 @ForceIndiaF1 @RenaultSportF1 #F1 team twitter people, assemble pic.twitter.com/TBjemfkDfo
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) 7 avril 2017
At the green light, Kévin Magnussen’s Haas was once again at the front, a new ritual for the Dane? Equipped with intermediate tires, driver No. 20 inadvertently presented us with a small artistic spin in turn 9. A few minutes later, Romain Grosjean performed the same maneuver at the same spot before making another off-track excursion coming out of turn 10.
Drying in some places and laden with water in others, the Chinese asphalt was very treacherous, especially in the banked sections like the entries to turns 3 and 9. After Magnussen, Grosjean, and Massa in turn 9, the unlucky Nico Hülkenberg got his Renault stuck in the gravel at turn 3, cutting his session short and triggering a virtual safety car.
VSC, for… us. #Oops. #FP1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/jSdVNijp5a
— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) 7 avril 2017
After 20 minutes of the session during which the drivers were able to test the 2017 Pirelli wet tires, mostly intermediates despite the tricky conditions mentioned earlier, the race management stopped the session again. The weather conditions once again prevented the medical helicopter from operating, and beyond the circuit, authorities informed of the closure of Shanghai airport. Team communication teams quickly took to social media.
Right. Where were we @MercedesAMGF1 @McLarenF1 @ForceIndiaF1? #FP1 #ChineseGP #RedFlagF1ll
— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) 7 avril 2017
Here is the official session ranking. The 10-lap mark was not reached, and a few drivers, including the Ferraris and Hamilton, were not even able to record a reference time.
#F1 – @Max33Verstappen leads in opening #ChineseGP practice pic.twitter.com/5d30TF9hxL
— FIA (@fia) 7 avril 2017
