Round 2 of the 2026 Formula 1 Championship is upon us. After a fascinating debut for the brand-new cars and engines in Australia, teams arrive at the Shanghai International Circuit for the 2026 Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The season opener showed that, as it had become clear during the preseason tests in Bahrain, Mercedes GP will be the team to beat, having nailed the very different driving and setup styles these new cars require. However, with Ferrari hot on their heels, the season still has plenty of surprises.
Find my Formula 1 betting preview and Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix prediction below.
Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix Preview
The Australian Grand Prix pretty much confirmed what everyone had suspected for a while now: Mercedes and George Russell will be the combo to beat in 2026.
The Brit had more competition than he surely would've liked at Melbourne. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took advantage of the smaller turbo in his car to take off like a rocket out at launch, and he held the tussle for first place going for a solid 12 laps before Russell eventually was able to ride off into the distance.
After that, it was a masterclass by the Brit and teammate Kimi Antonelli, who went pretty much unchallenged for the remainder of the race, in no small part thanks to another strategy blunder from the Scuderia. No one else could touch them.
It seems it'll be a similar tale in China.
The Silver Arrows ruled supreme in the first Sprint race of the season, with only Antonelli's stall at the launch denying them a second straight one-two finish.
The 19-year-old Italian made it up later that day, as he beat his teammate to become F1’s youngest polesitter, with Russell not far behind.
It's once again Ferrari as the main challenger, with Lewis Hamilton third and Leclerc fourth, while McLaren locked out the third row as Australia's Oscar Piastri took fifth and defending champion Lando Norris sits in sixth.
The biggest news is, of course, four-time champion Max Verstappen, who was unable to surmount the Red Bull engine's weakness in China and will start in eighth.
The Dutchman said, "Every lap is like survival," with a car that is "completely undrivable," and regretted the team had to scrap the weekend, as the plethora of changes they brought failed to yield any performance gains.
Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix Prediction, Picks
George Russell – To Win Outright (-150, bet365)
Antonelli's pole has certainly thrown a spanner in the works of what had been so far very smooth sailing for Russell. He was faultless in Australia apart from a last-minute dive that saw him lock his brakes and could've caused more problems. He was again brilliant in the Sprint, battling Hamilton.
While I don't think we're going to see the kind of favoritism we saw in the Hamilton/Bottas era of Mercedes, I still think team boss Toto Wolff knows his best shot at a title will be with Russell. The team will back the Brit for the win, and so should we.
Charles Leclerc – Podium Finish (-137, bet365)
The Monégasque driver was outperformed by Hamilton in qualifying, but China is a track where Leclerc has historically had a deficit to teammates when setting lap times. He described China as one of "the most difficult tracks for me and my driving style", so it is to be expected.
However, the only way you think he's not going to battle Hamilton for a podium spot is if you missed the Sprint race. Over a grand prix distance, I back Leclerc to have the better race pace and make quick work of his teammate, even if he'll once again be far off the Mercedes.
Pierre Gasly – Top-Six Finish (+400, bet365)
I find it absolutely astonishing that the 7th car on the grid is on those odds to finish one place ahead. Granted, Gasly will be caught between defending champion Norris and four-time champ Verstappen in the starting grid.
However, the Frenchman has shown he knows how to extract pace from this Alpine package, and if you look at teammate Franco Colapinto's results compared to Australia, it's clear the French car is much better suited to China.
Granted, Gasly dropped down during the Sprint race, but over the full distance, it only takes some good strategy calls or a bit of luck to secure his winnings.
