6 storylines for the F1 Chinese Grand Prix

Last November in Sin City Max Verstappen crossed the line fifth, one spot ahead of Lando Norris.

But it was enough for the Red Bull driver to secure his fourth consecutive F1 Drivers’ Championship, leaving Norris to fight for second in the standings, and wonder what might have been.

At last week’s Australian Grand Prix, the two renewed their battle, with Norris firing the opening salvo in what could be a fascinating title fight. Norris held off Verstappen, and the elements, to take victory and begin the year atop the Drivers’ Championship standings, breaking Verstappen’s hold on that place dating back to the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix.

But for both drivers, there are reasons for optimism.

For Norris, not only did he have his first chance to hold off Verstappen in the closing laps of the race — something he said was an improvement over last season — but the MCL39 showed true pace throughout the week and looks to be the best package on the grid at the moment.

For Verstappen, even with all that, he was still on Norris’ wing in the closing laps. With Red Bull hinting at an upgrade package early this season, and 23 race weekends remaining, there is plenty of time for Verstappen to get back to the top.

Of course, 18 other drivers might have something to say about the proceedings before all is said and done.

The battles renew this weekend in Shanghai, at the Chinese Grand Prix. Here are some of the other major storylines to follow.

How do the first-year drivers rebound?

Photo by Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

When the formation lap began at the Australian Grand Prix there were six drivers set to embark on their first full season in F1.

When the checkered flag flew only two remained on the track.

Oliver Bearman was at the back of the grid, which was something of an accomplishment given how the rest of his week unfolded, with crashes in both FP1 and FP3, as well as a gearbox failure that prevented him from participating in qualifying.

Then there was Kimi Antonelli, who was only two seconds off a podium finish, up in P4.

For the other four, however, the Australian Grand Prix was a race to forget. Jack Doohan’s home race ended with a spin on the opening lap. Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson retired in the later stages, with Bortoleto spinning on Lap 45 and Lawson crashing out on Lap 46.

Then there was Isack Hadjar, whose spin on the formation lap left the rookie distraught, before being consoled by senior figures such as Anthony Hamilton and Stefano Domenicali. Hadjar now faces one of the toughest challenges in sports, turning the page after a difficult moment.

For five of the six, it was a season-opener to forget. How quickly can they move on, and focus on Shanghai?

How does Ferrari rebound?

After months of buildup, the day finally arrived for Lewis Hamilton’s first race at Ferrari. Between the promise of Hamilton at the Scuderia and the past that he and Charles Leclerc showed during pre-season testing, expectations were high heading into Melbourne. However, as Hamilton termed it after the race, the Australian Grand Prix was an “opportunity missed” for the team. Leclerc qualified seventh for the race, with Hamilton just behind him in eighth. And while Hamilton did lead the Grand Prix for a moment — as other teams dove into the pits to switch to intermediates during the rain in the closing stages — he ultimately finished tenth, with Leclerc two spots ahead of him in P8.

As a result, Ferrari heads to Shanghai sitting seventh in the Constructors’ Championship standings.

“It has been a tricky day overall, but we will look into it,” Leclerc said after the Australian Grand Prix. “It is only the first race of the season, yes it is not the first race we would have hoped for but looking forward we need to re-motivate ourselves for Shanghai and recover from what was a disappointing first weekend.

“If you look at the pace of the McLaren it was unbelievable, even more strong than yesterday for example. So, we have to look into it, but we are on the back foot. But it is only race one out of 24, there are many other races, so we need to stay calm and keep working in the right direction.”

“I’m grateful to finish, at least I got one point,” said Hamilton. “Overall, not what I was hoping for, but there was so much to get accustomed to, to get used to, with all the switch settings and changes that they [the team] were throwing at [him over the radio].

“Then just the balance of the car… It was really very, very tricky – really, really tricky today. I think we can improve that in the next race, hopefully, and get the car in a sweeter spot. I think there’s a lot more potential in the car than what we were able to extract today.”

Ferrari should be able to bounce back relatively quickly. Will that happen this weekend?

Which midfield teams are for real?

The F1 Constructors’ Championship standings following the Australian Grand Prix look a little different than they have in recent seasons.

Specifically, the fact that Williams, Aston Martin, and Sauber are fourth, fifth, and sixth in the standings. That puts all three teams ahead of Alpine, Haas, VCARB, and yes, Ferrari.

While we expect more from the Scuderia as noted above, was the Australian Grand Prix an aberration, or are these midfield teams for real?

And what of the teams like Alpine, Haas, and VCARB? Can they bounce back and bunch up the midfield in Shanghai?

To take a step back, the midfield battle is fascinating to watch early in the season. Why? Because at some point here teams that are out of the running for positions in the Constructors’ Championship standings are going to turn their attention to the 2026 season, and the new wave of technical regulations. Consider what Guenther Steiner told me ahead of this season.

Teams that find themselves at the back of the midfield heading into May might decide to turn their attention to 2026, leaving the rest to fight for midfield glory.

The first F1 Sprint race of the season

As noted yesterday, this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix is the first F1 Sprint race weekend of the 2025 season. That means teams will not have much time to get acclimated to the circuit before the lap times count for real. Following FP1 on Friday, the teams will head straight into qualifying for the F1 Sprint race.

They’ll also need to get some work in on the medium compound — which is the C3 this weekend — during that practice session. Under the rules for F1 Sprint qualifying, teams are required to run the medium compound in both SQ1 and SQ2. Only those drivers who advance to SQ3 can turn to the soft compound.

A resurfaced circuit in Shanghai

Something to keep an eye on this weekend? Race officials completely resurfaced the Shanghai International Circuit. With just one hour of practice, teams will not have much time to familiarize themselves with the new surface.

This was also something of a curveball for Pirelli, F1’s exclusive tire supplier. As Pirelli noted in their preview of the Chinese Grand Prix:

“The 18th running of the Chinese Grand Prix, the second round of the season, immediately throws up some special challenges, not just for the teams and drivers, but also for Pirelli, starting with a completely resurfaced track and just one hour of free practice to see how much it has changed compared to past years. Last summer, a new surface was laid down on the track and the pit lane at the Shanghai International Circuit. It has only been used a few times towards the end of 2024 and should be smoother than before and, as this is the first event of the year to be held at SIC, it’s logical to expect the track to evolve very quickly.”

Nothing like some surprises to kick off the second race of the season.