Chinese GP: Friday practice a damp squib

Friday's practice sessions at the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix in Shanghai were mired by bad weather, resulting in very limited running.

Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands drives during the first practice session at the Shanghai International Circuit.   [Photo/Agencies]

In the morning, FP 1 was red flagged twice because the medical helicopter was unable to fly.

While conditions on track were well within the limits for the cars, the weather at the hospital in downtown Shanghai, 38 kilometers away, were not clear enough for the helicopter to be able to land.

When the session ended, Red Bull's Max Verstappen topped the timesheets with a 1m50.491s time on intermediate tires.

Only 14 of the 20 drivers set lap times with Both Ferrari's and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton not leaving the garage.

What was expected to be a better session in the afternoon turned out to be worse, with FP 2 abandoned for the same reasons as the previous session.

To pass the time and entertain the fans, some drivers put on a show, with Haas F1's Romain Grosjean presenting team boss Gunther Steiner with a makeshift walking stick for his birthday.

Lewis Hamilton emerged from the pits with 20 minutes to go in the red-flagged session. The Brit jumped the pit wall and went through the barrier on the other side of the track and threw autographed caps into the crowd to their delight.

It means that the drivers and teams go into Saturday having completely almost no running, leaving their work cut out for FP 3 and qualifying.

Many drivers, though smiling for the cameras, will be lamenting lack of running and hoping to find a quick setup tomorrow.

With a wet race expected for Sunday, the Shanghai International Circuit looks set to host another unpredictable race.