Top F1 team ‘worried’ about what they’re going to face at Chinese Grand Prix

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After five years away, F1 is back in China this weekend. The event was a mainstay on the calendar between the inaugural race in 2004 and 2019, but then the Covid-19 pandemic intervened.

While teams have plenty of historic data under their belts and many of the drivers are familiar with the track, it will be the first time the current generation of cars have tackled it. And then there’s the added factor of a sprint race.

Shanghai will play host to the first of six sprint weekends in 2024, with the format altered for this year. Last season, Saturday was devoted entirely to the sprint, but this year it will be split across two days.

• READ MORE: The most successful drivers at the Formula 1 Chinese GP of all time

Qualifying for the 100km race will take place after the one and only practice session on Friday. The sprint itself is then scheduled for the Saturday morning slot prior to the traditional Grand Prix qualifying session.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull are gunning for a fourth win in five races, with Verstappen also chasing his first victory in China. Nearest challengers Ferrari will hope to present a stronger challenge than they did in Japan.

The Bulls were able to secure their first qualifying one-two of the season in Suzuka and hold onto those positions comfortably. Third-place Carlos Sainz crossed the line just over 20 seconds behind Verstappen.

Andrew Benson says one team are concerned about Chinese Grand Prix

Writing in a Q&A for BBC Sport, journalist Andrew Benson says McLaren are ‘worried’ about what awaits them in China. The belief at Woking is that the MCL38 won’t be well-suited to the characteristics of the circuit.

Lando Norris out-paced both Ferrari drivers in qualifying Japan, but then slipped back on race day. He eventually had to settle for fifth, with Oscar Piastri eighth.

Benson wrote: “As for the other leading teams, McLaren are worried about China, because their car does not work well in corners with long entries – where the car is braking and turning for a long time. So they may be less competitive relatively as a result.”

Can McLaren catch Red Bull before Ferrari?

After the first four rounds, McLaren are third in the championship on 69 points, 51 behind Ferrari and 72 adrift of leaders Red Bull. However, Damon Hill believes that the team are on course to catch the dominant Bulls first.

They made remarkable progress over the course of the 2023 season, starting the campaign as a lower midfield car before challenging Red Bull after a transformative mid-season upgrade. Logically, it will be more difficult to find pace in a better car, but Hill is clearly excited about their development curve.

It remains to be seen how much the team’s recent reshuffle impacts things behind the scenes. McLaren confirmed earlier this month that technical director David Sanchez left his role after just three months.

In the short term, Piastri is anticipating a somewhat ‘chaotic’ weekend in China as F1 gets its first taste of a new format. If McLaren are a little off the pace, that could be exactly what they need to punch above their weight.