It seems there is no stopping Red Bull as Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber led the way in China - a massive two seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Such was the reigning World Champ's pace that one can't help but wonder if anyone can stop him winning this weekend's Chinese GP.
Vettel crossed the line with a 1:38.739 to finish 0.615s ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber. Third-placed Hamilton was a further 1.4s adrift!
Jenson Button claimed fourth place ahead of Nick Heidfeld, who crashed after spinning, while Felipe Massa was sixth. His team-mate Fernando Alonso finished a disappointing P12.
Report: It was a warm start to the morning as the drivers ventured out for their installation laps with the track temperature already at 30'C despite the early hour. McLaren are running a revised floor and exhaust as well as a new front wing, which Lewis Hamilton put through the rallying test as he ran wide at the Turn 14 hairpin. Hamilton and his team-mate Jenson Button were the early pace-setters with Hamilton at the front with a 1:42.306. Felipe Massa, who is running new aero bits on the rear of his Italia, claimed third place ahead of Mark Webber. The Aussie, though, jumped to the top of the timesheets with a 1:40.692.
Webber, Hamilton, Massa, Button, Pastor Maldonado, Tonio Liuzzi, Kamui Kobayashi and Team Lotus test driver Luiz Razia made up the top eight at the end of the first half an hour.
Reigning World Champ Sebastian Vettel joined the action but ran wide at Turn Six. Webber put in three purple sector times, extending his lead to 0.790s over Hamilton. Vettel claimed third place on next lap while Jarno Trulli watched on from the pits as Razia ran wide damaging the Italian's T128. Williams test driver Nico Hulkenberg and Sebastien Buemi both put their cars in the top eight.
Vettel hit the front with a 1:39.540 as Red Bull held the 1-2. Michael Schumacher, down in 15th place, reported that he's starting to lose the rear prime tyres - and he was only on his ninth lap out as the very dusty track. Button had a complaint of his own as his KERS was overheating and stopped working.
Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Button, Nick Heidfeld, Massa, Sergio Perez and Hulkenberg made up the top eight with half an hour remaining in the session. Team Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen was P9.
Game over for Heidfeld as the German hit the kerb, spun and crashed into the barriers at Turn Ten, damaging the front nose of his Lotus Renault. Problems also for Paul di Resta as the Scot spun his Force India. However, unlike Heidfeld, he avoided the barriers and was able to return to the pits. Vettel also had a problem with smoke coming from the back of his RB7. He pitted and when the engine cover was removed, it looked as if it was more than just brake smoke.
Fernando Alonso finally made his way into the top ten in ninth place but was dropped as Nico Rosberg went P9 behind Perez and Maldonado. The Williams rookie joined Heidfeld on the list of those not finishing the session as he spun at Turn Five bringing out the yellow flags. And the marshals took ages to come to his aid.
Practice One ended with Vettel on top, followed by Webber, Hamilton, Button, Heidfeld, Massa, Perez and Maldonado.
Times
01. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 01:38.739 23 laps
02. Mark Webber Red Bull 01:39.354 27 laps
03. Lewis Hamilton McLaren 01:40.845 21 laps
04. Jenson Button McLaren 01:40.940 22 laps
05. Nick Heidfeld Renault 01:40.987 5 laps
06. Felipe Massa Ferrari 01:41.046 25 laps
07. Sergio Perez Sauber 01:41.189 20 laps
08. Pastor Maldonado Williams 01:41.222 20 laps
09. Vitaly Petrov Renault 01:41.231 16 laps
10. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso 01:41.328 21 laps
11. Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP 01:41.361 23 laps
12. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 01:41.434 15 laps
13. Nico Hulkenberg Force India 01:41.494 20 laps
14. Heikki Kovalainen Team Lotus 01:41.579 13 laps
15. Paul di Resta Force India 01:41.610 18 laps
16. Daniel Ricciardo Scuderia Toro Rosso 01:41.752 20 laps
17. Rubens Barrichello Williams 01:41.439 25 laps
18. Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP 01:42.301 23 laps
19. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 01:43.792 20 laps
20. Jerome d' Ambrosio Virgin Racing 01:44.089 20 laps
21. Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT F1 Team 01:44.359 18 laps
22. Timo Glock Virgin Racing 01:44.438 11 laps
23. Luiz Razia Team Lotus 01:44.542 9 laps
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT F1 Team 01:45.019 23 laps
