The Formula One world returned to normal this week as Mercedes and its driver, Lewis Hamilton, were back on top of the qualifying sheets for the upcoming 2015 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. Although Hamilton and Mercedes were not their usual dominating selves after losing the Malaysian Grand Prix to Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel last month, it was a relatively commanding half-second lead Hamilton had over Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen in the first qualifying session.
Meanwhile, during the qualifying session, a man dressed in dark clothes hopped the spectator fencing and leapt onto the track before heading into the Ferrari portion of pit lane where he demanded to “try the cars” because he had a ticket. The unidentified man was apprehended by security staff [presumably before he could try any of the cars].
Also of note, for the first time this season, the Team Formerly Known as Marussia and now called Manor, actually had two cars on the track at the same time – although both were more than a whopping six seconds off Hamilton’s pace.
The 2015 Formula One season continues with the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai at 10:30 p.m. [PDT] on NBCSN on April 12, 2015.