The softest compound of tyre helps Fernando Alonso leap up to fifth with 1:36.044.

Fernando Alonso ends the mid-session lull by heading back out on the track. He's on the ultrasofts.

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

If you thought McLaren had expectations of fighting for podiums this year following their switch to Renault engines, you may well have got them from Fernando Alonso saying they could fight for the podium this year following, well, you get it. If you thought they had one of the best chassis last season, you might have got them from McLaren saying they, er, had one of the best chassis last season. Now, though, Alonso says, those expectations were misguided.

"I don't know what exactly people were expecting from one season to another where the regulations stay the same,” he said on Thursday. “There were three teams ahead of everyone last year and this year they stayed ahead of everyone. Last year in three races we had zero points. Last year Stoffel [Vandoorne] didn't even make the start in Bahrain, he was pulling the car into the pit lane. So this year from two races four cars to the chequered flag and third in the constructors' championship. If we look at the facts, not the feelings or the wishes or the dreams, if we see the facts, this is a very good start.”

The facts are that fourth in the drivers’ championship for Alonso and third in the constructors’ for McLaren is indeed a good start. But these positions owe a lot, as Alonso has admitted, to others having problems. At the same time, qualifying 13th and 14th in Bahrain last weekend was not good - so not good, in fact, that there was an “emergency debrief” afterwards.

This week, the McLaren management has been restructured and Zak Brown has been put in overall charge of the F1 team, his old position as executive director now defunct, he is now the chief executive officer of McLaren Racing. And those expectations don’t go away. Here’s Alonso again: “Here we need to step up and be a bit faster. And the next races are quite important. We will bring a lot of new parts to the car, same as everyone else, hopefully we can bring some thing better or more clever than the other teams and look a little bit up, not only in the middle but a little closer to the top teams would be nice.”

Full rundown of times at the halfway point of first practice.

A fairly even split of softs and mediums used down the field. The two Mercedes' fastest times came on softs, Red Bulls' on mediums and Ferraris on softs (Vettel) and mediums (Raikkonen).

Image source, F1.com

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

It's typical of FP1 to be honest, that along with the aero rakes. It is purely for data gathering. That Baku rear wing Hamilton had on his car will be a very low drag configuration. Just a little bit of data gathering and they probably won't use that again until they get to Baku.

Rear wing change for Lewis Hamilton as everyone heads back to base at the mid-point of session.

So far so good for the Red Bulls after a disastrous race in Bahrain.

Their drivers are third and fourth quickest respectively, with Daniel Ricciardo (1:35.696) and Max Verstappen (1:35.697) seven tenths of a second off Lewis Hamilton's time.

Both the Red Bulls are on mediums while the two Mercedes are on softs.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, F1.com

Pit stop practice for Ferrari. They'll be doing everything they can to make sure there's no repeat of last weekend's accident.

James Nelson: Hamilton and Max is bubbling. 44 vs 33. Reminds me of Hunt and Lauda, in the film anyway. Then there's Vettel who's "heirs" looking more like lewis! Kimis still Kimi lol

Lewis Hamilton keeps lowering that benchmark. It's a 1:34.962 now for the Briton.

Valtteri Bottas also improves, moving back into P2 with 1:35.701.

Image source, Getty Images

Thirty minutes into the session, here's the top 10 fastest times as Lewis Hamilton goes even quicker.

Image source, F1.com

Superb start to the weekend for Lewis Hamilton on a track he practically owns. He's been on pole six times in China, winning the race on five occasions.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

A monster first lap from Hamilton - 1.369secs faster than Bottas, who's second.

Lewis Hamilton quick out of the blocks! His first flyer on softs is a whole 1.3 seconds quicker than Valtteri Bottas. The benchmark is now 1:35.218.

Image source, Getty Images

Sebastian Vettel then goes quickest but is immediately replaced by Valtteri Bottas at the top of the order as the Mercedes man does a 1:36.587, three tenths quicker than Vettel.

Image source, Getty Images

Max Verstappen lowers the benchmark with a 1:37.539, a tenth quicker than Kimi Raikkonen's latest effort. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel is third quickest after a 1:38.146.

Vettel is on softs with the others on mediums.

Image source, Getty Images

Max Verstappen is out on the track now, as is Valtteri Bottas, so that's the lot of them having been out at some point.

"Strong tailwind into Turn 6," Verstappen is told.

Kimi Raikkonen is out on the mediums and goes quickest with 1:37.651 but despite that he's really struggling for grip at the moment, having a big oversteer moment on his next lap at Turn 11.