Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2025 Practice 1 Result: Lando Norris goes fastest, Charles Leclerc clocks 2nd fastest lap

Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2025 Practice 1 Result: The first practice session of Round 2 in Shanghai saw McLaren's Lando Norris set the pace, topping the timesheets with a lap of 1:31.504 on March 21 (Friday) ahead of the Sprint Qualifying later today.

His strong performance reaffirmed McLaren's growing competitiveness this season after winning the Australian GP last week. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc followed closely in second place, just 0.454 seconds behind, while Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri rounded out the top three, 0.649 seconds off the pace.

Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2025 - Practice 1 Results

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

Lewis Hamilton, now with Ferrari, secured fourth place, 0.691 seconds behind Norris, as he continued to settle into his new team. Mercedes' George Russell completed the top five, finishing 0.873 seconds off the leader.

The biggest surprise of the session was Nico Hulkenberg in the Kick Sauber Ferrari, who posted an impressive sixth-fastest time, finishing ahead of more established frontrunners.

Williams' Alexander Albon delivered a solid performance, securing seventh place, while Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin followed in eighth. Young Andrea Kimi Antonelli, replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for this session, impressed by securing ninth place, showing glimpses of his potential. Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda completed the top ten.

Notably, defending champion Max Verstappen had an unusually quiet session, finishing 16th as Red Bull seemed to struggle with pace. Carlos Sainz, who recently joined Williams, also failed to break into the top ten, finishing 15th.

With 10 minutes left in the session, a red flag was brought out due to a crash involving Alpine's rookie driver Jack Doohan. The Australian lost control and hit the barriers, bringing an early end to the session. Fortunately, he emerged unscathed, but the incident highlighted the challenges of Shanghai's circuit, which is hosting F1 for the second time since 2019 as the event returned to the F1 season in 2024.

Overall, McLaren's strong start in the only practice session for this season suggests they could be serious contenders this weekend, while Red Bull's struggles raise questions ahead of qualifying. Ferrari looked competitive, with both Leclerc and Hamilton in the top four. Meanwhile, Alpine faces concerns with Doohan's crash, adding pressure as they seek to improve performance. The battle for supremacy in China is shaping up to be an exciting one.