Pascal Wehrlein masters the rain in Shanghai
Pascal Wehrlein proved he is the man to beat in Shanghai, topping a chaotic, rain-soaked opening session for Porsche with a benchmark of 1m09.259. It was a beautiful display of control at the Shanghai International Circuit, as he managed to stay two tenths clear of Citroën Racing’s Jean-Eric Vergne despite the treacherous, changing grip levels.
Most of the field spent significant time tucked away in the pits, waiting for the weather to relent. The rain turned the final sector into a real trap, forcing teams to scrap their run plans early on. When a brief window of opportunity opened with just over 10 minutes remaining, no one could knock the Porsche driver off his perch.
It was a strong showing for the Porsche garage, with Nico Mueller rounding out the top three, finishing five tenths behind Wehrlein. Behind them, Nick Cassidy and Edoardo Mortara rounded out the fastest group before the conditions dictated that the cars stay under cover.
