Formula 1 is Back in China!
For the first time since 2019, Formula 1 returns to the Shanghai International Circuit for the Chinese Grand Prix! It’s been an unfortunate past four or so years for the people of China, so hopefully this weekend will be something nice for them all to celebrate. In terms of the actual racing, the last Chinese Grand Prix played host to the 1,000th ever Formula 1 Grand Prix, and it’s also worth mentioning that Max Verstappen had only won 5 Races at that point in his career (he’s now won 57)! It’s also pretty cool that this will be a brand-new track for not just half of the Grid, but also for plenty of fans who got into the sport post-2019. So yeah, buckle up, and enjoy the return of what could be argued is an underrated track!
Fernando Alonso is Here to Stay
So since the Japanese Grand Prix took place two weeks ago, there was some big contract news as Fernando Alonso announced a contract extension with Aston Martin which will take him to the end of the 2026 Season (the first year of the new regs). This is a very positive piece of news if you’re a fan of Aston Martin, and Alonso will be looking to go strong at a track he has won at in the past. Will Fernando go well this weekend? Only time will tell!
The Sprint Returns!
For the first of 6 events in 2024, the Sprint is back! There’s no doubt that the Sprint Format is very debatable between fans as to whether it’s good or not. I personally like it, but that’s just I love watching meaningful sessions. Now rather interestingly, the format has changed slightly this year as instead of the Quali on a Friday, Sprint Saturday, and then the Race on Sunday, the Sprint Shootout will take place on the Friday with the Sprint taking place a few hours earlier than Qualifying on the Saturday. Personally, I don’t like this changed, I’d have just had a Sprint Friday and the one Practice session is on a Saturday before Qualifying, but that’s just how it goes! Still, given it’s taking place in China, it could be quite fun!
Can Lewis Hamilton Find His Form Again?
After 4 Rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 Season, Lewis Hamilton currently sits 9th in the Drivers’ Championship with just 10 points to his name. To say that’s a bit of a disaster is actually a rather big understatement. 2024 just simply hasn’t gone well for Lewis so far, with his best result being P7 in Bahrain. However, if there’s one man who knows how to drive well around the Shanghai International Circuit, it’s the 7-time World Champion. In 13 visits, Lewis has won 6 times and has been on the Podium on a further three occasions, so it’s very fair to say that this is a strong Hamilton circuit. Given all of this, Lewis needs this weekend to go well for both him and Mercedes.
Zhou Guanyu is Home!
In the entire history of Formula 1, there wasn’t a single Chinese Driver until 2022 when Zhou Guanyu made his debut for Alfa Romeo in Bahrain. Since then, it’s been an up-and-down journey for Zhou in the pinnacle of motorsport, but there’s no doubt that this weekend is going to be Zhou’s biggest in his racing career to date (and probably ever realistically). So, all eyes with be on Zhou Guanyu, and given that doesn’t happen very often (if at all ever), it’s going to be really interesting to see whether Zhou “sinks or swims”. I hope for Zhou’s sake that it goes well for him, but Kick Sauber need to be on it as well.
My Predictions for the Chinese Sprint Shootout
Max Verstappen
Carlos Sainz
Oscar Piastri
Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton
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