AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly led the pack out of the pits when the first four-hour session of the three-day event got underway at 10am local time, the Frenchman's car adorned with an enormous aerodynamic-load measuring rake.
Most of the cars made early forays with rakes attached, although not Haas, which missed all the opening session due to freight delays meaning its VF-22 could not be readied in time.
