Key events
Lights out and away we go!
Off they go
Tyre news: the front 10 are all starting off on medium tyres; Hamilton, with much ground to make up, starts on softs. And theyâre off on the formation lap.
Max Verstappen is forewarning of drizzle over the radio â¦
Minor grid tweak:
The Alonso car situation looks a little more troubling. The mechanics are still working on that floor â a bit of stone damage, weâre told. But this is the last thing you need 10 minutes out from the start when youâre third on the grid.
A quick word with local hero Zhou: âThe energy [from the crowd] has been outrageous from the very first day, Iâm gonna try my heart out. Iâm confident we can make our way forward.â He starts 16th.
A bit of minor surgery is being carried out on the floor of Fernando Alonsoâs car. Nothing major, by the likes, but can be a bit concerning. The Spaniard starts third on the grid and will fancy this.
And now, the Chinese national anthem
The general pre-race prognosis is that this is likely to be a two-stop race. The weather is overcast but dry.
Lewis Hamilton speaks: And blames himself for yesterdayâs mishap. I should have been Q2, itâs entirely my fault. The team are doing a great job with what weâve got and George [Russell] did a great job but Iâll try to make up for it today.â Heâs got quite the following in Shanghai too today. “[This crowd] are the best, theyâve been so supportive for so many years, so itâs great to be back. The British GP is special and unique but they always bring some great energy here and I love this track.â
Will Verstappenâs dominance end up deterring new fans? Lando Norris fears it might:
âIf you see the same driver winning every single time without a fight then of course it does start to become boring and that is obvious. You have got one of the best drivers ever in Formula One, in one of the most dominant cars and it is a combination that is deadly.â
Preamble
Morning/afternoon everyone. Much has changed since China last held a grand prix, in 2019, in pre-Covid times and before the cementing of the Verstappen/Red Bull supremacy. And for all Red Bullâs off-track turmoil, that supremacy was evident again in qualifying on Saturday, with the defending champion taking poll and pipping Lewis Hamilton to win the sprint race.
Hamilton then proceeded to have a nightmare in qualifying, out in Q1, and facing an uphill task today just to score any point at all from a starting place of 18th on the grid. He does at least have fond memories of this circuit, having won here six times, three times more than anyone else. Last time he won, five years ago, he had Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel for company with him on the podium. Times change.
Anyway, back in the present, thereâs a good deal of home enthusiasm for F1âs return to the Shanghai International Circuit (and a home driver to cheer, in Zhou Guanyu) and there should be plenty to look out for over the course of todayâs 56 laps.
Hereâs how they line up:
1 Max Verstappen 2 Sergio Pérez 3 Fernando Alonso 4 Lando Norris 5 Oscar Piastri 6 Charles Leclerc 7 Carlos Sainz 8 George Russell 9 Nico Hulkenburg 10 Valtteri Bottas 11 Lance Stroll 12 Daniel Ricciardo 13 Esteban Ocan 14 Alexander Albon 15 Pierre Gasly 16 Zhou Guanyu 17 Kevin Magnussen 18 Lewis Hamilton 19 Yuki Tsunoda 20 Logan Sergeant
Lights out 8am BST.
