The first free practice session of the Grand Prix got off to a flying start, with technical challenges and varied performances from the very first moments on track.
Kevin Magnussen, in his Haas, was the first to go out on hard tires. The McLarens and Alpines followed close behind on the same compounds.
However, mechanical woes soon began to crop up. McLaren driver Lando Norris encountered steering problems early in the session, forcing him to return immediately to the pits for repairs.
As the teams tried to resolve their mechanical nightmares, Lewis Hamilton was the first to set a quick time on medium tires, a feat quickly surpassed by Max Verstappen.
But the session was brought to an abrupt halt when Charles Leclerc spun at Turn 16. Fortunately, the Monegasque managed to avoid any damage to his car, but the incident led to the red flag being displayed as his clutch overheated, preventing him from starting again in reverse.
Once the track was clear, the drivers returned to the track, creating a long queue at the pit exit.
Despite efforts to resolve them, Norris kept complaining of steering problems, while Leclerc and his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz remained in the pits for adjustments to their respective cars.
In the final minutes of the session, Sergio Perez dominated on the softs, taking first place ahead of his Red Bull teammate, who complained of a lack of grip, while Hamilton struggled to keep his tires alive in the final corners, relegating him to third place.
Despite the difficulties experienced by some teams, the Alpines put in a good performance, finishing ninth and tenth respectively, without having introduced any new parts for this weekend.
In the end, while Verstappen emerged as the fastest driver of the session, Piastri managed to get his McLaren into the top three, demonstrating their competitiveness despite the mechanical problems faced earlier on. The top three was completed by Sainz.