Antonio Felix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche) was the fastest man in Shanghai after the first free practice with a time of 1m09.280s – already four seconds quicker than the best time from last season. Having won one of the races here in Season 10, da Costa will want to make it back-to-back victories around the Shanghai International Circuit tomorrow.
One tenth behind Da Costa was the Mahindra Racing of Nyck de Vries, who is looking to build on the team’s first podium of the season back in Monaco. The Season 7 Formula E World Champion looked strong here last season, but now has a stronger car to build on that potential.
Joining them in the top three at the chequered flag was the Maserati MSG Racing of Jake Hughes, who also found success here last season with a Julius Baer Pole Position and his first Formula E podium with NEOM McLaren. Now in blue colours, can history repeat itself on his birthday weekend?
Pascal Wehrlein finished fourth for Porsche, followed by fifth for Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy. Taylor Barnard was sixth for NEOM McLaren, Dan Ticktum seventh for CUPRA Kiro and Andretti’s Jake Dennis, Nissan’s Norman Nato and Maserati MSG Racing’s Stoffel Vandoorne completed the top 10.
As it happened…
There was no hesitation for the grid to head out onto track and get laps in around this iconic Shanghai circuit. By the first 10 minutes, CUPRA KIRO’s Dan Ticktum was quickest followed by the DS PENKSE of Maximilian Guenther and reigning World Champion Pascal Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche.
Nick Cassidy has a slight spin going from Turn 2 into Turn 3, with the Jaguar TCS Racing driver heading over the kerbs at the start of his lap. It didn’t dent his confidence though, topping the session later on with nine minutes to go. Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns was also using the first free practice session to explore all the limits of the track.
With 15 minutes to go, it was NEOM McLaren’s Taylor Barnard who was top with a time of 1m09.690s. The ‘rookie’ already has four podiums and a Julius Baer Pole Position to his name after the first nine rounds of the season, and will hope this is the weekend he can add a win to that tally.
By the end of the session, it was Antonio Felix da Costa who was the best of the rest and was followed by the Nyck de Vries.
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