article_snippet.sent: The Mercedes pair are so much quicker than the rest of the field here.
article_snippet.sent: 6 Raikkonen is the first of the Ferrari drivers to post a time and 6 Raikkonen is the best part of two seconds slower than Lewis Hamilton on a used set of option tyres.
article_snippet.sent: but it is Lewis Hamilton next.
article_snippet.sent: Lewis Hamilton is the first of The Mercedes pair to take to the track.
article_snippet.sent: Lewis Hamilton remains the quickest man on the track.
article_snippet.sent: Neither Ferrari driver are yet to post a time, so the best of the rest behind the Mercedes pair is currently the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, 1.6 seconds slower than Lewis Hamilton.
article_snippet.sent: The Briton really appears to be a class above Lewis Hamilton Mercedes team-mate this weekend.
article_snippet.sent: That’s quite a big shock to see McLaren on the penultimate row again.
article_snippet.sent: Button, also on the soft compound, is faster than Alonso by four tenths, and Alonso slots Alonso McLaren into P7.
article_snippet.sent: Alonso is already donning the soft compound tyre.
article_snippet.sent: Alonso comes across plenty of traffic on Alonso fast lap, but still manages to go eighth… for now.
article_snippet.sent: Nico Hulkenberg, on the much faster softer compound tyre, pops Nico Hulkenberg Force India into third.
article_snippet.sent: Here comes Hamilton, who looks at ease in Nico Hulkenberg Mercedes, and the British driver is 1.6 seconds faster than Vettel.
article_snippet.sent: Raikkonen meanwhile is the first big gun out on a hot lap… .
article_snippet.sent: That said, Mercedes, and Lewis Hamilton in particular, appear to be back to Mercedes, and Lewis Hamilton in particular ominous best in Shanghai.
article_snippet.sent: Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes has been fastest in all three practice sessions this weekend at a track where Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes has already won on three occasions and was the pole-sitter here in 2013 and again last year.