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Formula 1 Chinese GP

Chinese GP final practice and qualifying

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Haas putting the brake fires out in the pits.
Radio Comms
Grosjean told to come back to the pits slowly because "rear brakes are too hot".
He's got going again but with heavily flat-spotted tyres.
Hamilton ran wide out of the left-hander onto the straight and lost control on the wet astroturf runoff.
Crash
Hamilton has spun at the exit of Turn 10.
Time for the Red Bulls to get in on the act too now, both drivers are out on the soft tyre.
After a lock up at the Turn 14 hairpin, Hamilton gets a better time on the board, but 1m34.807s is only enough for fourth, 1.118s off Vettel's pace.
Stopwatch
Bottas up to second now, 1s off Vettel's pace, while Grosjean moves his Haas up to ffith.
Radio Comms
"We're seeing 20kph tailwind at Turn 14" Mercedes tells Hamilton, who is warned to look out for "snaps" of oversteer at certain corners.
Edd Straw
Alonso's car now not doing that. Maybe indicates building a bit more temperature and a rise in tyre pressure getting the rideheight up a bit. Hartley has modified his approach on the way in, similar to what Gasly was doing with a slightly later turn in now.
A much gentler first lap from Hamilton, who is currently slowest of those to set a time.
Bottas slots into third with his first flier, 1.5s off the pace.
Hamilton and Bottas have both entered the fray, on the soft tyre.
Edd Straw
Alonso’s McLaren is bottoming out at the skid plate more than any other car in the braking zone for the left hander. Vettel’s Ferrari is doing it a reasonable amount too but far less so.
Radio Comms
"We've lost telemetry so we need to box this lap". All not well for the sister McLaren of Vandoorne though.
Alonso slots into third now, a 1m35.364s lap for the McLaren that puts him 1.675s off Vettel's benchmark.
Edd Straw
Interesting comparing Gasly to Hartley. Gary turns in later for the left and slightly more aggressively, Hartley slightly earlier. This allows Gasly to set up the right-hander a bit more calmly, even though Hartley probably carries in that bit more speed.
Gasly has snuck into third amid that excitement, just under a tenth clear of Hulkenberg's Renault.
Stopwatch
Vettel goes fastest on his first run, more than a second clear of Raikkonen.
Edd Straw
I’m at the entry to Turn 11, the slow section that leads onto the long back straight. There’s a good breeze blowing. Magnussen the most aggressive here so far, although Hartley is taking more ninside kerb than most. Probably not beneficial as the key to the left is to set up the entry to the Long right.
Radio Comms
Sounds like Gasly is struggling with the change of wind direction, as replays show him running wide.
Radio Comms
"I think I need another lap to get used to these new track conditions". Sainz is finding Shanghai a stranger in these much colder conditions.
Information
Red Bull boss Christian Horner explains all is well with Ricciardo's car after a gearbox check, so hopefully he'll make it out before the hour is through.

By: Geoff Creighton

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