Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix Prediction: F1 is back in China

The return of Formula 1 to China symbolically represents the last nail in the coffin of the pandemic that paralyzed our favorite sport. A lot has changed since the last race held in 2019, which was also the anniversary of the 1000th Formula 1 race, and the local fans finally have a local driver. Since 2019, Formula 1 has been dominated by one team again, many teams have changed their names and bosses, and some world champions have left us. Fernando Alonso, for example, did not drive then, but this weekend we are watching him with a freshly signed multi-year contract for Aston Martin. The generation of cars has also changed, and a lot of new fans have appeared. The sprint format of the race has also appeared, which this weekend had its seasonal and general debut for the track itself. The track itself has changed a little.

Max Verstappen was once again untouchable in qualifying. He may not have been at his best on Friday when qualifying for the sprint, but Saturday at the Chinese GP was fantastic for him. First, he celebrated in the sprint race and then won his fifth pole position this season. Qualifying was excellent for Red Bull as Sergio Perez grabbed second place. The second starting row will be Fernando Alonso with Aston Martin and Lando Norris with McLaren. Oscar Piastri finished fifth, ahead of the Ferrari drivers. Sixth is Charles Leclerc, and seventh is Carlos Sainz, who managed to finish qualifying even though he had an accident in Q2 and caused a red flag.

The chosen tires for this weekend are mid-range, with C2 as hard, C3 as medium, and C4 as soft components. Nominally, it's the same choice as 2019, but the scenario is very different. Five years ago, 13-inch tires were in use. They were cars that had a flat floor and completely different aerodynamics from the current car. Basically, this weekend we’re practically starting from scratch in terms of understanding the tires.

Of the 20 drivers who make up the grid this year, only three have won in Shanghai: Lewis Hamilton (6), Fernando Alonso (2), and one of the most beautiful victories on this track – Daniel Ricciardo in 2018. Hamilton also has six first-starting positions. Among the teams, Mercedes is first with six victories, Ferrari has four, and Red Bull (only) two, i.e. we are waiting for Max Verstappen to win. In fact, it was here in 2009 that Sebastian Vettel took the team's first victory, then as now, led by Christian Horner.

OUR PREDICTION: Lando Norris in the top 3