It’s only the second round of the season and already the rules are changing. Will that disrupt the pecking order?
Plus, F1 could have a new championship leader by Sunday, and teams face the added challenge of a resurfaced track – again. Here are the talking points for Shanghai.
Early clampdown on flexing wings
Lando Norris is well aware that the hard-won seven-point advantage he claimed in Australia amounts to very little with 623 points still available over the remaining 23 rounds.
But McLaren hit the track in great shape in Australia, claiming the front row of the grid by almost four tenths of a second. They would likely have filled the top two spots on the podium had an ill-timed rain shower not caught Oscar Piastri out.
Will they be as competitive in China, particularly now the FIA has announced a stricter new test of rear wing flexibility? A tougher test was originally planned for the ninth one, but the FIA has surprisingly rushed a new check in.
McLaren appeared to have a clear advantage in the field of aeroelasticity last year, but the sport’s governing body does not like to see undue amounts of flex in wings, and announced this new test on the day after the last round. This is surely out of a concern that on Shanghai’s enormous back straight, measuring over 1.4 kilometres, teams could gain a significant advantage through having a rear wing which deforms to shed downforce and drag at top speed.
But as we’ve seen so little running so far this year, interpreting any variation in the teams’ performance is likely to be difficult. The Shanghai track has little in common with Albert Park or Bahrain International Circuit, the only venues where significant running has taken place so far.
| Become a RaceFans supporter and
New track surface
The teams and drivers will have plenty to get on top of this weekend. The FIA’s new rear wing test comes as they are still getting to grips with their new cars. For many rookies, this will be their first experience of the circuit.
On top of that, the Shanghai International Circuit has a fresh layer of asphalt this year, so much of their data from last season won’t be useful, and the last race before that took place in 2019.
This may sound familiar. Teams arrived in Shanghai last year to find the track coated in a new layer of bitumen. How much grip they can expect will be strongly influenced by how recently the latest coat was laid – and whether it rains. The conditions look favourable so far.
Sprint races return
F1’s sprint race format, now five years old, remains an answer to a question no one asked. Undeterred, F1 persists in holding them, though their goal of “promoting a dash that is dynamic rather than strategic, with an emphasis on attacking” seldom lives up to the hype.
Shanghai is the first venue which will arbitrarily award extra points. F1 has never held a sprint event as early in the season as this, and it could have an immediate effect on the championship: Verstappen has the chance to take the championship lead off Norris on Saturday.
Sprint races mean a reduction in practice time from three hours to one. Teams hoping to solve problems with their cars will therefore either have to wait for Suzuka or, more likely, treat the sprint race as a practice session, as several did last year.
| Become a RaceFans supporter and
F1 seeks growth in China
When Formula 1’s commercial rights holder Liberty Media took over the sport it identified two key markets it was keen to develop the sport in: The USA and China. F1’s popularity in the former is growing, thanks to its three US rounds per season.
But efforts to promote the sport in China were frustrated partly by its long absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While US interest grew thanks to the popularity of Drive to Survive, it is not officially available in China as the ruling Communist Party blocks access to Netflix and other online services which are popular elsewhere.
Derek Chang, who replaced Greg Maffei as president of Liberty Media earlier this year, and spent three years as the head of the National Basketball Association in China, admitted the series needs to find ways to succeed in China.
“I don’t think our efforts in China have necessarily borne the fruit that we’d like to have seen,” he told the Financial Times recently. “I do think that, with some investment and some focus, we can turn it into a bigger opportunity for F1 and, frankly, for the fans in China.”
Any way back for Zhou?
Having a Chinese driver on the grid would no doubt aid F1’s popularity in China. Zhou Guanyu became the first Chinese driver to compete in the race last year and F1 went to the unusual length of giving him a special place on the grid after the race to park his car in front of the crowd.
However this turned out to be a farewell gesture, as Sauber dropped Zhou at the end of the season. He is now a reserve driver for Ferrari. If he can’t find a way back onto the grid, there are no other junior Chinese drivers in the lower categories who might take his place soon.
| Become a RaceFans supporter and
Second chance
Two of F1’s rookies will be grateful to get back on track immediately after painful weekends in Melbourne. Jack Doohan’s second grand prix start lasted just five corners before he spun in the treacherous conditions and crashed.
He at least made it further than Isack Hadjar, who arrives in Shanghai still looking to make his grand prix debut. He showed decent pace throughout practice until he crashed on the formation lap before the race. Both will be especially keen to stay out of trouble this weekend.
Are you going to the Chinese Grand Prix?
If you’re heading to Shanghai for this weekend’s race, we want to hear from you:
Who do you think will be the team to beat in the Chinese Grand Prix? Have your say below.
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a daily email with all our latest stories – and nothing else. No marketing, no ads. Sign up here:
| Become a RaceFans supporter and
2025 Chinese Grand Prix
Browse all 2025 Chinese Grand Prix articles
