What lessons can be learned from the first day of driving in Shanghai?

The sprint has its supporters and its opponents: this format introduced in 2021 has never managed to achieve unanimous approval, as evidenced by the incessant rule changes from one year to the next. Despite everything, it seems to have found a form of continuity this season by continuing with the same operation as in 2024. After a single free practice session in Shanghai, the drivers have already had to tackle the exercise of qualifying, which determines the starting order for the sprint race on Saturday morning (4 hours in France).

For the teams, this Chinese weekend is an opportunity to test themselves and understand a little better where each one stands on a track very different from that of Melbourne, where the weather also promises to be very mild. After their one-two finish in qualifying in Australia, the drivers McLaren were expected to be the big favorites, which they confirmed in free practice. During the only hour of driving before qualifying, Lando Norris glued 0”454 to Charles Leclerc, second, during his run on soft tires at the end of the session. His teammate Oscar piastri settled for third place at 0”649, losing a lot of time on a slightly wide exit in the last corner.

As Lando Norris explained on Thursday, e