Ferrari’s first official race with Lewis Hamilton didn’t go as planned since the team failed miserably in the Australian Grand Prix, so they must pick themselves up fast in the Chinese Grand Prix. The Prancing Horse only has five points to show from Albert Park, although the mood within the camp remains upbeat.
As expected, Lando Norris won the first Grand Prix of the year. However, his teammate Oscar Piastri must make up ground after an unlucky outing at Albert Park. On the other hand, defending world champion Max Verstappen notched a P2 finish while Red Bull teammate Liam Lawson didn’t even finish the race.
The 2025 Formula 1 season is still young, and SBOTOP race fans can expect more twists and turns as we go along. Learn more about the Chinese Grand Prix 2025 updates by continuing to read below.
Ferrari not yet in panic mode
Ferrari were one of the favourites to win at Albert Park after preseason testing in Bahrain. However, they couldn’t extract enough performance from their machines, and their strategic blunders didn’t help. Qualifying saw Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton line up in P7 and P8, and they finished P8 and P10.
Leclerc had a quick start, improving to P5 – a position held for much of last week’s race until the late rain came. The Monegasque driver struggled on the wet track when the rain started to fall. He and Hamilton were in front of the pack after they stayed out for an extra lap once the majority pitted for intermediate tyres. However, the team’s bold strategy ultimately backfired.
Leclerc at least overtook his teammate on track after falling out of the Top 10, while Hamilton barely finished within the points. Many expected better from the Scuderia, but Hamilton said this is part of their growing pains and their best is yet to come.
“Rome wasn’t built in one day, so we’re just going to try to build on the foundations from testing. We learnt a huge amount last weekend, and it’s what we do with that loss, it’s how we turn up weekend in weekend out with our heads high and continue to push. It’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up,” Hamilton told reporters.
Mercedes aim to build momentum
Toto Wolff left Albert Park a happy camper after he saw George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finish P3 and P4 last week. Russell had been on the podium before, so this was nothing new. However, the same can’t be said for Antonelli, who just made his Formula 1 debut.
Antonelli raised eyebrows since he started 16th on the grid. After three solid practice sessions, the 18-year-old Italian dropped out of Q1 after sustaining bib damage on his floor that hindered his car’s pace. He repaid Wolff’s trust in him after managing the conditions perfectly while fellow rookies Isack Hadjar, Jack Doohan, and Gabriel Bortoleto struggled. Antonelli was initially relegated to P5 with a five-second penalty for an unsafe release, but this was quickly overturned because Mercedes filed an appeal.
History
The Chinese Grand Prix has been a staple in the Formula 1 calendar, except for between 2020 and 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rubens Barrichello won the first edition of this race in 2004, while this is where Michael Schumacher won his last race in 2006.
Lewis Hamilton is the winningest driver in Shanghai by a mile with six victories, including a four-peat from 2014 to 2017 when he was still with Mercedes. Fernando Alonso has two wins in 2005 and 2013. Max Verstappen is the other active driver who won this race last year after he took pole position.
Fernando Alonso recorded the fastest lap last year at 1:37.810s in lap 45 but finished only seventh on the grid. Lando Norris and Sergio Perez took the other podium spots behind Verstappen.
What are the odds?
The Chinese Grand Prix 2025 odds have Lando Norris as the massive favourite to win the Sprint and the actual race this Sunday. The 25-year-old British international is valued at 1.60 in the Sprint and 1.25 in the actual race. McLaren are expected to dominate in Shanghai since they’re priced at 1.20, compared to Red Bull’s 6.00 and Ferrari’s 6.50.
Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen are expected to take the two remaining podium spots at 1.35 and 1.67. The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are pegged at 2.17 and 2.88. Moreover, the betting odds don’t expect much from the Silver Arrows this weekend, as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are at 3.85 and 4.03.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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