Just six days after the opening contest of 2026, the Formula 1 drivers will be racing again as China hosts the first sprint event of the season.
Will the new regulations enhance the divisive sprint format? And can anyone challenge Mercedes?
Here are the talking points for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Will Ferrari’s novel rear wing appear?
Ferrari revealed a striking rear wing design in pre-season testing which they did not use in the first race in Australia. The design allows the opening flap to rotate much further, potentially giving a greater aerodynamic benefit.
If that design is likely to pay off anywhere it will surely be on Shanghai’s huge, 1.4-kilometre back straight. But does the design work as intended – and would Ferrari commit to racing it with just a single hour of practice available this weekend?
What is Red Bull’s real performance?
Front runners Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren all had relatively unhindered races in Melbourne. But Red Bull’s performance was masked.
Isack Hadjar almost fired his car into the lead at the start until his Red Bull-Ford power unit let him down, and he retired soon afterwards. Max Verstappen made smooth progress through the field, rising from 20th to sixth, but would surely have finished higher had he not dropped out in the first round of qualifying following a spin.
With a cleaner weekend for both drivers we should get a clearer idea of where the Red Bull’s current ceiling of performance is.
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Can Mercedes’ customers catch up?
The scale of the gap between winners Mercedes and their trio of customer teams was conspicuous in Melbourne and prompted questions over how they suddenly managed to pull so far ahead. McLaren in particular let it be known they are lagging a long way behind the works team in understanding how to get the best out of their new power unit.
The customer teams did not get their hands on the Melbourne race-spec hardware until later than the works team. So how long will it take them to start catching up?
Will FOM keep Overtake mode use secret?
Much of the debate around Formula 1’s first race under its new regulations centred on how easily drivers were able to pass and repass each other as they deployed and saved energy – at least over the opening laps.
The efficacy of the Overtake mode gained little attention, likely because there was no indication when drivers were using it. It clearly had a bearing, however: Charles Leclerc noted there was a significant benefit to running second, as being within a second of a car ahead grants drivers an extra power boost.
Overtake mode is F1’s replacement for DRS. While fans could easily see when DRS was being deployed, and on-screen graphics added a further indication, there is no such equivalent for its replacement. Will FOM reveal when Overtake mode is being used, or does it prefer to keep fans in the dark about which passes were facilitated by its latest gimmick?
Who wants more sprint races?
For the third year in a row, China’s round of the world championship will be the first of six sprint race weekends. It’s clear Formula One Management wants more of these, and the FIA recently acknowledged it is looking into a proposal to increase the total number per season to 12.
Since the format was foisted on F1 five years ago there has been little indication that fans’ enthusiasm for the concept is anywhere near as high as FOM CEO Stefano Domenicali insists. Regardless, it would be little surprise to see the number of sprint rounds double in 2027.
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Are crash fears realistic?
One of the most serious criticisms levelled at F1’s new rules is the increased risk of a crash occuring due to the speed differences caused by drivers alternately deploying their energy and backing off to generate it. Lando Norris has given particularly stark warnings of the risks, suggesting a car could be launched over a fence.
Do his rivals consider that kind of risk realistic? And how could F1 mitigate it? The close encounter between Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson at the start of Sunday’s race indicated there is a real cause for concern.
The huge width of the Shanghai circuit should make it easier for drivers to avoid cars slowing ahead of them this weekend. However the huge acceleration zone leading into the tight hairpin could prove a trouble spot.
Are you going to the Chinese Grand Prix?
If you’re heading to China for this weekend’s race, we want to hear from you:
Who do you think will be the team to beat in the Chinese Grand Prix? Have your say below.
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