Free 1: Button ahead of Rosberg

In Shanghai, the challenge proposed, once again this year, concerns the temperature. If China is a very hot country in summer, temperatures are still variable in April and the Shanghai circuit displays limited grip. This Friday, the first free practice session starts with a temperature of 13°C in the air, 25°C on the track. In the first minutes of the session, the drivers are looking for grip. In particular, we see Karun Chandhok (HRT) zigzagging on the tarmac to warm up his tires.

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), out for a single flying lap, was the first to set a time, in 1:41??819. You then have to wait several minutes for things to get going on the track. After almost half an hour of session, Vitaly Petrov (Renault) and Paul di Resta get started and animate the changes at the top of the timesheet. The Russian had the best time (1:41:714, 1:39:516) before the Scotsman beat him (1:39:101, 1:38:880). Then it's Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) which is at the top (1?38??504).

As the mid-session approaches, there are more and more cars on the track. The big names are there, the top teams are showing off their new products and the times are falling. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) shows his speed (1?38??704, 1?38??195) while Robert Kubica (Renault) is at the top of the timesheet (1?37??899). However, he did not keep his best time for long, the McLarens tumbling quickly.

Lewis Hamilton improved the Pole's time by more than three tenths (1:37:536) before Jenson Button was five tenths faster (1:37:008). A few seconds later, Lewis Hamilton improved his time, without ahead of his teammate (1:37??224). 40 minutes from the end of the session, it was Jenson Button who did it again, once again improving the reference mark (1:36??677) and Lewis Hamilton came within a tenth (1:36? ?775).

The tours follow one another but the activity becomes less rare. Vitaly Petrov, Paul di Resta and Lucas di Grassi are the most diligent on the track while Sébastien Buemi is stuck in his stand. The Toro Rosso driver, victim of a problem in the braking system, must wait until twenty minutes from the end of the session to be able to take to the track. For his part, Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) can run but has to stop very quickly at the side of the track due to an engine problem. It's starting to get worse for the Scuderia, which is multiplying the pitfalls in this area, while the season has only just begun.

The end of the session is approaching and the drivers continue to complete the laps. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), already third, improves his reference time in 1:37??243 before moving to second place, in 1:36??748, while Sébastien Buemi signs his first time in 1:40??108. The Swiss driver improves further but remains far from the times of his teammate, Jaime Alguersuari (1?38??161). Sébastien Buemi is about to improve when, as he approaches a turn, his front wheels literally jump and come loose, leaving the STR5 going straight on.

The red flag was raised but the session was quickly restarted for the remaining five minutes. However, no notable changes were noted and the session therefore ended with Jenson Button's best time, ahead of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Next lessons during the second free practice session, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.