The man is absolutely amazing this year!

Sebastian Vettel recorded the fastest time in Friday’s opening practice session for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix. The German’s title defence has got off to the best possible start with wins from pole at the first two rounds, in Australia and Malaysia, and he was at his dominant best this morning as he and his Red Bull team-mate, Mark Webber, recorded a one-two in enveloping smog at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Webber was over half a second slower than Vettel, who went round in 1min 38.739sec, but the gap to the rest of the pack was the most eye-catching statistic, with third-placed Lewis Hamilton two seconds off Vettel’s pace in his McLaren. Hamilton’s team-mate, Jenson Button, was fourth as McLaren concentrated on the floor and exhaust upgrades that they trialled in Malaysia last week.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber are fastest in Shanghai | guardian.co.uk.