Chinese GP practices wiped out by rain, fog
SHANGHAI — When Lewis Hamilton finally emerged from the garages on a rainy, foggy Friday at the Chinese Grand Prix, it wasn’t to take his Mercedes out for a practice lap, it was to sign hats to throw into the crowd.
Hamilton and the other Formula One drivers had very little time on the Shanghai International Circuit after poor visibility wiped out much of the day’s two practice sessions.
With the circuit’s medical helicopter unable to land at the nearest hospital in case of an accident, F1 cancelled the afternoon session completely and gave drivers the green light for only about 20 minutes in the morning.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen had the fastest lap time of the abbreviated morning session. Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, and Hamilton failed to set a lap time.