Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 title defence continues in this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 2024 Championship.
It has been five years since F1 last raced in China, and the cars have undergone dramatic changes since then.
This weekend will run to the sprint format for the first time this year, with a solitary hour of practice before sprint qualifying on Friday. That is likely to see some teams struggle to find a set-up that works, and we could be in for some surprises.
Chinese Grand Prix Tips
- Carlos Sainz podium finish @ 4/5
- Fernando Alonso top-six finish @ 9/4
- Nico Hulkenberg points finish @ 2/1
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Sainz can continue to impress
Arguably, the most impressive driver of the season so far has been Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
The Spaniard has competed in only three of the four races, having missed out in Saudi Arabia due to a case of appendicitis, but he has finished on the podium in all of those, even winning the race in Australia.
The Ferrari has been a clear second-best car to the champion Red Bulls in the early part of the season, and Sainz finished only eight seconds behind Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull in Japan last time out.
Sainz sits only four points behind his team-mate Charles Leclerc despite missing that Saudi race, in which Leclerc picked up 16 points for finishing third and setting the fastest lap.
This year, Ferrari seem to have finally got on top of a long-standing issue whereby the cars dramatically lost pace in race conditions, primarily through destroying their tyres.
They are now able to deliver lap times throughout a stint in the race, which gives them more flexibility in their strategies.
Take Sainz to continue his 100% podium rate for the season in Shanghai.
Veteran Alonso to keep delivering
After 381 Formula 1 starts Fernando Alonso shows no signs of slowing down and the Aston Martin driver looks a good price to produce a top-six finish in China.
The Spaniard has recently inked a new contract with his team, which will keep him with the Silverstone-based squad through 2026.
Alonso has had a typically solid season, finishing ninth, fifth, eighth, and sixth in the first four races.
In fact, that eighth place was the result of a time penalty he was handed after the Australian Grand Prix for having been adjudged blameworthy in George Russell’s race-ending crash. Alonso had crossed the line sixth.
The Shanghai track should suit the Aston Martin, so Alonso can be among the first six to see the chequered flag for the fourth race in a row.
Take Hulkenberg to boost Haas’s tally
Another veteran enjoying a solid start to the season is Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg.
The 36-year-old registered top-ten finishes in Saudi Arabia and Australia and just missed out on points in Japan last time out, finishing 11th.
There is plenty of potential for chaos in China, where dicing drivers try to out-brake each other into the sharp corners, and dependable Hulkenberg could be one of the main beneficiaries if his midfield rivals tangle.
*all odds correct at time of writing and subject to change
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