The F1 heads to Shanghai this weekend for the second race of the 2025 season. Here’s what you need to know before the race on Sunday.
Storylines
At the Australian GP, McLaren demonstrated the speed many thought they possessed after pre-season testing in Bahrain. McLaren’s Lando Norris won the race, while his teammate, Aussie Oscar Piastri, was vying for the lead until losing control on the 44th lap and ultimately finishing in ninth.
As a result, Norris sits atop the Drivers Championship, but Piastri’s result means that McLaren is tied with Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.
Norris has played down last week’s victory, telling reporters: "I had one good weekend — people need to calm down a little bit. I'm focused on trying to do the same here.”
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari will be looking to bounce back from a slow start last week. After finishing 10th on debut for Ferrari, Hamilton told reporters: "It went a lot worse than I thought it would go". Hamilton has the most wins of any driver in Shanghai, winning the Chinese GP a total of six times.
Last year’s race was won by Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver claimed his first Chinese GP dominantly, starting in pole position and beating Norris by 14 seconds.
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This is the first time since Monaco in 2022 that Verstappen has not been leading the drivers championship.
Rookies look for redemption
The Chinese GP will also see several rookies who did not finish last week’s race looking to redeem themselves, including Australian driver Jack Doohan. The 22-year-old crashed within the first lap of his home race and is under mounting pressure with talented Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto waiting in the wings as Alpine’s reserve.
VCARB rookie Isack Hadjar also made headlines after crashing out during the formation lap at Albert Park. Images of Hadjar being comforted by Lewis Hamilton's father went viral. Check out TDA Sport's recent interview with Hadjar and his teammate Yuki Tsunda here*.
How to watch
The Chinese Grand Prix will begin on Sunday at 6:00pm. Saturday’s schedule will include the Sprint race at 2:00pm and Qualifying at 4:00pm. You can watch Formula One on Foxtel and Kayo.
