Formula 1 2025 Chinese GP Preview

We have Formula 1 action for the second week in a row. This time, we travel from Melbourne in the Land Down Under all the way to Shanghai, China; a Sprint Weekend awaits. After being absent for a few years, F1 returned to the Shanghai International Circuit in 2024 and seems to have regained its foothold here. 

For 2025, we have numerous storylines unfolding before our very eyes. Last year’s Chinese GP winner and defending Driver’s champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will want to bounce back from his 2nd place finish in Melbourne. However, McLaren, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, looks very strong, so it’s going to take more than just great driving from Max to beat the Papaya-coloured cars. Let’s look at the track and its history and cover the ins and outs for this upcoming Grand Prix weekend. 

Chinese GP 2025 | Schedule

This is the Schedule for the F1 2025 Chinese GP. All times are UK.

• FP1 – 3.30 am, Friday
• Sprint Qualifying – 7.30 am, Friday
• Sprint Race – 3.00 am, Saturday
• Qualifying – 7.00 am, Saturday
• Chinese Grand Prix – 7.00 am, Sunday

The race broadcasts are available via F1 TV or Sky Sports in the UK. 

Chinese GP | Track & History

The Shanghai International Circuit is one of the newer additions to the F1 calendar. The track was designed by the legendary Hermann Tilke and was opened in 2004, hosting races from 2004 until 2019 and then from 2024 onwards.

It’s a Typical Tilke Track with some high-speed turns and a few long straights. However, it does have a very unique snail turn (Turns 1-2 are often considered one of the trickiest on the calendar) and some technical parts that can cause the tyres to overheat if not managed well. Overheating can ruin a qualifying lap or force the driver to lose precious time in a race.

The circuit has 2 DRS zones with a handful of hard braking spots, which is great for overtaking. The weather in Shanghai can change quickly, with the rain causing many accidents. The most notable of which is probably the infamous Lewis Hamilton crash in 2007. Then, the rookie had a disaster in the pits, which ended up costing him the Driver’s title that year. So, it’s a challenge for every driver and team engineer, too!

The most important info about the track is provided in the table below:

3 Biggest Storylines Before the Chinese GP

Who Will Be Faster – Max Verstappen or McLarens?

It seems that we are continuing exactly where we left off in late 2024. Max Verstappen is still battling a McLaren car that seems so much faster ‘on paper’, yet the 4-time world champion is consistently getting good results, nonetheless. This situation is actually not a surprise when you consider how war-ready Super Max is behind the wheel. We can remember that his calm and collected nature under pressure helped snatch multiple wins from his main rival, Lando Norris and secure the title last year, despite the latter having the faster car. 

In 2025, the first blows were dealt by the Papaya car. Lando Norris won the 2025 Australian Grand Prix without too much of a challenge from anyone, except maybe his own teammate for 2/3rds of the race. Defending champion Max Verstappen capitalised on Oscar Piastri’s mistake to take P2 and kept a minimal gap in the standings between himself and the current championship leader – Norris. 

By winning the season’s inaugural race, Lando Norris broke the streak of Max Verstappen leading the Driver Standings. That dominant streak had been going on for 1,029 days. Can the Dutchman start a second one, or is one of the two McLaren drivers more ready to take the Driver’s crown in 2025 and run away with it from the get-go?

Can the DNF’s Bounce Back?

Even though Kimi Antonelli drove one of the best races ever for a rookie, two other promising newcomers of F1 – Isack Hadjar (RB) and Jack Doohan (Alpine) crashed out due to tricky conditions before we had a chance to see some proper racing action. In addition, Gabriel Bortoleto also failed to finish the race, with a total of 6 DNFs culminating in one of the more exciting season openers we’ve ever had.

Hadjar and Doohan seem like they have great potential and solid machinery to scrap for points. At the same time, no one doubts the talents of Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber), who is seemingly only limited by the lack of performance from his car. 

Liam Lawson’s (Red Bull) drive was underwhelming, but we know the Kiwi is fearless and determined as a driver, so maybe Shanghai can turn things around for him.

Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) crashed out of Albert Park while running in the points. He will need to recover in a major way to show both fans and Aston Martin’s management that the 2x World Champ, by far the oldest driver on the grid, still has plenty left in the tank.

Finally, Carlos Sainz might seem happy for his teammate down at Williams, but in all honesty, seeing Alex Albon finishing so high must’ve left him with a bittersweet taste and unanswered questions of “What could have been if he hadn’t crashed out?”. 

What are Ferrari’s True Capabilities?

Right from the get-go, Ferrari’s Australian GP was full of ups-and-downs

• Charles and Lewis both struggled to communicate with their race engineers via radio
• Ferrari inherited the lead for a while when the team decided to keep their drivers on dry tyres in the wet
• They took too long to make the call to pit near the closing stages of the race and lost valuable points to others

With disappointing P8 (Leclerc) and P10 (Hamilton) finishes, Ferrari’s run in Melbourne seemed extremely challenging. Yet, we didn’t really see their pace in the dry without these unnecessarily risky gambles. What is Ferrari’s pace, exactly? During testing, they seemed a solid pick for the 2nd-3rd fastest car, and that couldn’t just have evaporated in Australia. China can be a clearer indication of where they stand.  

2025 F1 Season Opener Recap | Australian GP

For those in the UK who chose to wake up early and watch the Australian Grand Prix, the 2025 Formula 1 season commenced in a very spectacular fashion. Under unpredictable weather conditions, Lando Norris showcased maturity and converted his pole position into a victory for McLaren. This was the team’s first win in Melbourne since 2012 when Jenson Button edged out Sebastian Vettel to stand on the top step of the podium. 

Defending champion Max Verstappen secured second place for Red Bull, while Mercedes’ George Russell completed the podium in third. Funnily enough, George Russell drove a splendid race but preceded to fly under the radar for most of the 57 laps. 

The race had incidents left and right, including: 

• A formation lap crash that DNF’d Isack Hadjar, 
• There was a delayed start and a full safety car after the first racing lap
• Multiple changes of weather with a late-race rain complicating decisions for many teams
• Fernando Alonso crashing out late in the race

Even though the rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli had a very disappointing qualifying and managed to spin on track during the race, he impressed by finishing 4th, climbing twelve positions from his starting spot.  

Ferrari faced strategic challenges, while Williams and Kick Sauber got away with a solid points tally. 

Standings After Round 1

Current F1 standings for 2025.

Driver Standings

Constructor Standings

This season promises to be a good one. Let’s see if Shanghai can retain Melbourne’s momentum and bring us more excitement. For more information about F1 and the biggest events in the world of sports, make sure to follow our blog. 

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