Lando Norris’s opening two flying laps led the way at the top of the times for much of the opening phase of the session, where the drivers built up to speed on the dusty course running the two harder compounds – oversteer rife in the slower opening turns early on.
The Ferrari drivers and Lewis Hamilton shuffled Norris back as their lengthy opening runs on the hards headed towards their conclusions, before the McLaren driver – fitted with mediums – surged back ahead with a 1m34.776s.
