Five things to look out for at F1’s Chinese GP

It’s been a fast start to the 2026 Formula 1 campaign with this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix signalling round two after the Melbourne opener on Sunday.

George Russell ultimately led a Mercedes 1-2 at the Australian Grand Prix, but team boss Toto Wolff played down the chances of the Silver Arrows romping towards the 2026 title.

There is a lot to look out for across the grid this weekend, which also marks the first sprint contest of the season. That in itself brings a unique challenge due to it still being so early in this new regulation cycle.

So, here are five things to look out for at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Ferrari look to give Mercedes a genuine challenge – Ed Hardy

The Mercedes domination of the F1 2026 opener came as a surprise to basically nobody, as the Silver Arrows and its star Russell were heavy favourites for the Australian Grand Prix. Its qualifying form was particularly telling, as Russell beat team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.293s with the next fastest car, Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull, eight tenths behind the polesitter.

But it is unlikely that such a large advantage will remain, because Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur claimed “we didn’t put everything together” in Melbourne qualifying as Charles Leclerc took fourth with Lewis Hamilton seventh. The Frenchman thinks the pace that the Scuderia showed in the grand prix is actually more representative of its form, with Leclerc enjoying an early to-and-fro battle with Russell for the lead, while Hamilton was also in the mix.

Ultimately Ferrari finished third and fourth after not pitting under the VSC, but the signs for the Italian outfit are nonetheless positive that it can be the team that challenges Mercedes this year. “We have a fight on our hands with Ferrari,” said Silver Arrows boss Wolff, so expect a close fight between the two this weekend – as long as the Scuderia doesn’t make a mess of qualifying again.

The picture behind is also interesting, with McLaren and Red Bull neck-and-neck for third in the pecking order. Melbourne saw a late battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, whose team-mates could also have been in the mix had an engine failure not halted Hadjar, whereas Oscar Piastri crashed out pre-race.

So, Shanghai is also huge for Piastri, as the McLaren driver really needs to get off the mark for 2026 – particularly after his collapse in the 2025 title battle.

Honda Power Unit

Photo by: Take Itoh

Shanghai straight another litmus test for F1’s new power units – Ben Vinel

The Albert Park track, with a layout that has been very energy-hungry since the former Turns 9-10 section was removed in 2022, provided a real litmus test for F1’s new generation of cars.

With power units now approximately 50% electric, energy management has become preponderant, which provided some decent racing in Australia but was mildly disturbing in qualifying as drivers lifted and coasted to harvest energy and deploy it early on the straights – before running out early too.

This was particularly striking on Lakeside Drive, a 1.4km section at full throttle, where drivers ran out of energy deployment and decelerated hundreds of yards before actually reaching the braking zone.

Let’s see how this turns out in Shanghai. It’s 1.7km between Turns 11 and 14, including approximately 1.4km between the moment drivers actually reach full throttle in the Turns 12-13 curve and the apex of Turn 14.

So, it will be interesting to see how teams manage energy on this circuit, which features just three real braking zones – fewer than Melbourne – alongside a number of flowing curves.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

Sprint race set to add further jeopardy at start of new regulations – Rachit Thukral

If F1 was hoping for a definitive verdict on its new 2026 regulations, China is unlikely to provide one. The sprint format means teams will have only a single practice session to fine-tune their cars before the focus shifts to competitive running.

In some ways, that may actually suit the championship. With limited opportunities for set-up work and development, Mercedes may not have a chance to flex its muscle, while other teams could easily head in the wrong direction. But with the 2026 cars still in their infancy, it is fair to question whether holding a sprint weekend so early in the season was the right call.

It would also be interesting to see whether sprints prove any more entertaining under the new regulations. Contrary to what one might expect, a shorter race distance does not necessarily reduce the need for energy save. Unlike in Formula E, where drivers manage a fixed battery allocation across the entire race, F1’s hybrid systems operate largely on a lap-by-lap cycle, with the energy constantly getting harvested and discharged through the battery. As such, the same constraints apply regardless of race length.

Still, if battery levels are going to play such a major role in wheel-to-wheel racing at the start of this regulation cycle, a sprint race could provide the perfect setting for the ‘yo-yoing’ effect between drivers.

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Will Isack Hadjar repeat his impressive performance from Melbourne? – Ed Hardy

The problems of the second Red Bull seat are well documented: ever since Daniel Ricciardo’s shock exit at the end of 2018, numerous drivers have failed as Verstappen’s team-mate. Whether that was down to them being unable to cope with the pressures of supporting the four-time world champion, not adapting to the difficult-to-drive car, or simply not being good enough is another matter, but Red Bull has now potentially found somebody who is finally capable of filling the Ricciardo-shaped void.

That man is Hadjar, who did everything he could to impress on his Red Bull debut in Melbourne. It of course helps that the Austrian outfit has produced a more driver friendly car in 2026, but regardless, the 21-year-old qualified third while Verstappen crashed out in Q1. At one stage, he even looked set to take the lead until a lack of battery halted his charge on the opening lap.

The Frenchman may have ultimately retired with a power unit failure, but he showed enough to be encouraged for the year ahead. “He did a fantastic weekend,” said his boss Laurent Mekies. “We were able to split the testing programme between the cars, get double the amount of information. He went to qualifying with everything, that means a first time qualifying with these rules, absolutely nailed it. Put the car in P3, which is probably as high as it could have been on Saturday. So, hats off.”

Red Bull doesn’t need Hadjar beating Verstappen, simply just that he can pick up the pieces when, or if, something goes wrong for the Dutchman – as qualifying last Saturday showed. Hadjar did what was needed of him, but now the real challenge comes: consistently performing at that level.

That mission starts in Shanghai, yet there’s no reason to think Hadjar cannot impress again as last year he reached Q3 for Racing Bulls as a rookie. Although he narrowly missed out on points with 11th, the Frenchman must be confident of scoring this time around and doing so would signal a solid start to the year.

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

Photo by: Marcel van Dorst / EYE4images / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Is the whole problem in Aston Martin Honda’s fault? – Jose Carlos de Celis

Many people blamed Honda for all of Aston Martin’s problems, but after Melbourne, both HRC and the team assured that Sunday’s retirements were not caused by the engine. Honda and Aston even said that they could have finished the race with Fernando Alonso if necessary.

The world champion himself assured that in China, Aston will be able to take more risks because there will be more battery stock in the next race, Japan, so Shanghai may offer a clearer picture as to whether the problems go beyond the engine.

Adrian Newey, before being able to do too many laps on the track, had said that the chassis would be fifth on the grid, but the laps after Alonso’s brilliant start in Australia, when all his rivals overtook him one without any problems, cast doubt – particularly as it started its wind tunnel programme four months late last year.

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