29/04/2016
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's opening session, the air temperature is 14 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 27 degrees.
Tyre options this weekend once again see Pirelli provide the medium, soft and supersoft.
There are two driver changes this morning; Alfonso Celis replaces Nico Hulkenberg at Force India whilst Sergei Sirotkin will take over Kevin Magnussen's Renault.
Of much interest this morning will be the debut of Red Bull's alternative to the Halo device, the Aeroscreen, which the team will run on Daniel Ricciardo's car on his installation lap.
World champion Lewis Hamilton comes here lagging 36 points behind teammate Nico Rosberg, and the Briton, who has won both previous running of this event, will be seeking to close that gap and get his title defence back on track.
After a relatively disappointing Shanghai, Ferrari will be aiming to get serious this weekend, not only as it watches Mercedes heading off into the distance (again), but now finds itself under pressure from Red Bull.
As we await the green light there is a much activity inside and outside the Red Bull garage as we await what may well be the next step in the future of the sport... a future many fear for.
The lights go green and Gutierrez leads the way, followed by Haryanto, Vettel, Bottas and Raikkonen.
Whilst we have been here twice before, this new slot on the calendar comes much earlier in the year and consequently the difference in temperatures will no doubt affect tyre performance.
Ricciardo heads out, almost - almost - collecting a Sauber in the process.
A couple of drivers complete more than one installation lap, Ricciardo is not one of them. Massa is the only driver not to have appeared.
As on several previous occasions this year, Rosberg looks likely to post the first time of the day however, this time around teammate Hamilton is also looking likely to get an early one in.
The German posts 1:56.328 whilst the Briton stops the clock at a far more sensible 41.941. Next time around they improve to 39.424 (Rosberg) and 40.138 (Hamilton).
Hamilton spins at T2, bringing out the yellows, but is able to continue.
Having completed 7 laps apiece, it seems the Mercedes duo are already into their long run programme, though this session takes place two hours earlier than any other session.
Wehrlein is another driver to make a mistake at T2, the German getting it wrong at T5 also for good measure. He subsequently posts a 49.533.
Lots of sparks from Bottas' Williams as he posts the fourth time of the day, a 41.465 which sees him go third. Moments later Ericsson goes fifth with a 44.512.
Ricciardo is back on track, albeit without his Aeroscreen.
Frantic activity in the Ferrari garage where a number of mechanics are working on the DRS wing flap on Raikkonen's car.
Vettel runs wide in T2 whilst Button spins at T15 in sympathy.
A clutch issue on Massa's car means the Brazilian is unlikely to appear any time soon, if at all.
Meanwhile Perez and Hamilton get it wrong in T2 whilst Vettel spins at T15.
As Rosberg ups the ante with a 39.097, Ricciardo goes third with a 40.393.
T2 claims another 'victim', this time it's Button, whilst Vettel spins (again), this time at T17.
As local hero Kvyat goes fifth (40.953), the other Russian on duty, Sirotkin, posts 43.442 to go 14th.
Alonso gets it wrong at T2 on successive laps.
"A challenging start to FP1," admits Manor. "We have a floor change for Pascal, who picked up some damage, and we're investigating an issue for Rio."
Hamilton continues to struggle for grip in T2, as does everyone else.
After 40 minutes, at which point the drivers have to give back a set of tyres to Pirelli, the order is: Rosberg, Hamilton, Bottas, Ricciardo, Kvyat, Perez, Sainz, Verstappen, Nasr and Alonso. Vettel is currently 11th and Raikkonen 19th. Massa, Haryanto and Gutierrez have yet to post a time.
There follows several minutes of track inactivity, though there is much activity in the various garages.
Eventually an engine fires up and moments later Sirotkin gets things underway again.
Among the next to head out is Massa, the team seemingly having sorted his clutch issue. Wehrlein is also on track following his floor change.
Following his installation lap, Massa heads back to the pits, as Gutierrez falls foul of T2.
Gutierrez finally posts a time, the Mexican stopping the clock at 43.362, albeit 4.7s off the pace. Mind you, at 42.781, his teammate is only marginally quicker.
Switching to the supersofts, Rosberg improves to 38.642.
Raikkonen, currently the slowest driver to have posted a time, switches to the supers and improves to 13th (41.695). Teammate Vettel is currently 12th (41.679).
Check out our Friday gallery, here.
Hamilton improves but remains 0.722s off his teammate's pace.
Sirotkin improves to tenth with a 41.400 as Rosberg runs wide in... guess where.
A 39.800 sees Ricciardo go third as Grosjean and Kvyat both make a pig's ear of T2. They are not alone.
"What we're seeing so far is that even softest compounds retain their performance over several laps," reveals Pirelli. "Means that we could see long stints."
Another improvement for Raikkonen on the supers (40.683), but he remains 2.556s off the pace.
Vettel, on softs, closes to within 1.411s of Rosberg as he goes third. Elsewhere, Kvyat spins at T17.
Raikkonen runs wide in T2, Grosjean at T13 and Kvyat at T17... there might be plenty of incidents but some of them look pretty spectacular, some really nice drifts.
Raikkonen (softs) improves to third with a 39.332, thereby leapfrogging his teammate to take third.
"I think I've lost power," says Nasr after running wide in T2. Shortly after he has another excursion, this time at T7.
In quick succession, Palmer, Hamilton, Rosberg and Ericsson make a hash of the infamous T2. Clearly, grip is not improving.
Massa (supers) splits the Ferrari duo with a 39.365 to go fourth, though the Maranello duo set their times on softs. The Brazilian had just had a nose change.
A late appearance from Haryanto following his issues, the Indonesian having four minutes in which to post a time. He subsequently posts 43.289 to go 21st, just ahead of Celis.
"We're seeing a mix of soft and supersoft," says Pirelli, "a big difference from last year when FP1 was only about the hardest compound."
A late improvement from Raikkonen sees the Finn re-take fourth from Massa, whilst Palmer spins at T15.
The session ends with Rosberg quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Vettel, Raikkonen, Massa, Ricciardo, Bottas, Kvyat, Perez and Sainz.
Button is eleventh, ahead of Alonso, Sirotkin, Nasr, Verstappen, Gutierrez, Grosjean, Palmer, Ericsson, Wehrlein, Haryanto and Celis.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.