Despite Max Verstappen not completing his fastest lap in the free practice of the Chinese GP, it remains uncertain about the Dutchman’s exact speed for the upcoming weekend. His P16 doesn’t reveal much, but it’s more important to note that until he aborted the lap, he was only a few hundredths slower than the leading drivers. Among them, Lando Norris from McLaren was the fastest, followed by Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari.
Of course, the paddock is still buzzing with talk about the late former team boss Eddie Jordan (76), especially at Aston Martin. Let’s not forget: Aston Martin originated from the Jordan team. It later became Midland, then Spyker, subsequently Force India, Racing Point, and finally Aston Martin. Jordan’s passing puts the game of tenths and hundredths or even thousandths of a second into perspective.
However, the focus must also be on the free practice, as it is the only practice session this weekend. Friday awaits the sprint qualification (6.30 am UTC), followed by the sprint race (2.00 am UTC) and qualification (6.00 am UTC) on Saturday, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday (6.00 am UTC). All this will take place in sunny Shanghai (seven-hour time difference) with expected dry conditions and temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius.
The circuit won’t be a problem: with new asphalt and further developed cars, Verstappen and his colleagues are already making good progress in the opening minutes of free practice. The Dutchman watches as George Russell and both McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris quickly dip under his pole time from last year (1.33,660). This promises an exciting few days ahead.
In the end, Verstappen himself does not advance beyond a mid-tier position in the free practice. However, this ranking does not tell the whole story, as he achieved this time with a medium tire. He did not complete his lap on the soft tire in the final phase, unlike almost all other drivers. What’s more important is the balance of the RB21 in combination with the right speed. The tire wear, partly due to the new asphalt, is a major issue. Many teams anticipate problems with the left front tire. All drivers are dealing with this, but the exact impact on performance will only become clear in both races.
Many top drivers go off the track in search of the limit: Norris, Oscar Piastri (who speaks of a ‘nervous’ car on the radio), Charles Leclerc, and Hamilton (who miscalculates when entering the pit lane). Their excursions remain without consequences. This is not the case for Jack Doohan: the Alpine driver ends up in turn 10, with a broken power steering.
This briefly causes a red flag, after which everyone switches to soft tires in the final minutes and Norris ultimately takes control. Notably, Liam Lawson at Red Bull again struggles to keep up with Verstappen. The car does not do what Lawson wants, he finishes the free practice in eighteenth place, almost a second behind Verstappen on the medium tire and even on soft still fourteen hundredths slower.
