George Russell and Kimi Antonelli led Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix practice session, setting blistering times on medium tires. The British driver clocked 1m32.741s, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (1m33.599s) and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri (1m33.472s) close behind. Mercedes’ duo outpaced rivals by over half a second, showcasing their sprint qualifying dominance.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton tested soft tires late, recording 1m34.129s, but struggled with brake lockups and a near-collision with Norris. Red Bull faltered, with Max Verstappen (1m34.541s) and Isack Hadjar (13th) lagging, while Arvid Lindblad retired early due to technical issues. Franco Colapinto spun at Turn 9 and later stalled in the pitlane, and Carlos Sainz missed much of the session due to a data problem, delaying his sprint prep.