Vettel steers his car during the first practice session for the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on Friday. Greg Baker/ AFP

Sebastian Vettel fired a warning as he powered his Ferrari to the fastest time in first practice at the milestone Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on Friday.

Ahead of what will be the 1,000th Formula One race, the four-time world champion clocked a best time of one minute 33.911 seconds, with Mercedes’ reigning title-holder Lewis Hamilton 0.207 secs behind.

Third-fastest was Vettel’s young Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, 0.256 secs off the pace, followed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas in the other Mercedes.

But the session belonged to Germany’s Vettel, 31, who has been under pressure after a series of unforced errors stretching back to last season.

He has been struggling with the set-up of his Ferrari and admitted on Thursday that he was still not really at home in it.

Vettel finished fourth in the season-opening race in Melbourne and then fifth in Bahrain, where he was eclipsed by decade-younger team-mate Leclerc.

Leclerc, the supremely talented 21-year-old who led in Bahrain but finished third after his Ferrari lost power, struggled early on in practice before finding some rhythm.

The Monegasque locked his wheels in his opening run and was then told over the radio from his Ferrari team on a subsequent lap: “We need you to push a bit.”

In warm Shanghai conditions and with a slight breeze, Racing Point’s Lance Stroll took a minor spin, the Canadian’s predominantly pink car shuddering down the track.

After two grands prix this season, Bottas leads his team-mate Hamilton by one point at the top of the standings, followed by Verstappen, Leclerc and Vettel.

Agence France-Presse