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The grid for the 2024 F1 Chinese GP is set with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez locking up an all-Red Bull front row. The duo will be followed by Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris on the second row, with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc on the third.
The sprint did give a teaser of how the race on Sunday could pan out. Overtaking is going to be difficult on this track, as we have already witnessed. Tire degradation does not appear to be much of a concern for anyone involved, and at the same time, the rain is expected to stay away from the track.
Taking all this into consideration, what can we expect from the F1 Chinese GP? Let's find out in our predictions for the race weekend.
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#1 Max Verstappen wins the F1 Chinese GP
This one seems very straightforward at this stage, as Max Verstappen starts the race on pole position, and his primary challenge, if there ever was going to be one in Ferrari, is on the third and fourth rows. The Red Bull driver is yet to lose a position at the start of a race since the sprint in Qatar. Expect the same to do that again in the F1 Chinese GP and ride into the sunset, leaving everyone behind.
#2 A Ferrari will end up on the podium
Irrespective of the kind of pace Ferrari had over a lap, it was quite impressive to see the kind of pace both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz had in the sprint. Both in terms of tire degradation and long-run pace, the team holds the advantage over McLaren and Aston Martin. Expect either of the two drivers to make it to the podium.
#3 Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll do not score points
Lewis Hamilton starts the race in P18 while Lance Stroll starts his race in P11. However, what was interesting to see in the sprint was Stroll losing out even to the Alpine of Esteban Ocon.
The Canadian lacks the pace to be in points, while Lewis has a mountain to climb, it would be very hard to see either of the two make it to the top 10 as overtaking can be a bit of an issue.
#4 The race might not be the most exciting one
The sprint was more than indicative that the F1 Chinese GP might not be the best race of the season in terms of wheel-to-wheel racing. While we did see some in the sprint, it was a result of Fernando Alonso's tires falling off in the later stages because he pushed too hard.
The same is not going to happen on Sunday, and we might end up with a race that is far more processional than expected.
#5 Haas is a strong contender for a points finish
Nico Hulkenberg's single-lap pace was very impressive and helped him reach P9 in qualifying. The strength for Haas this season has been the race pace, however, and the German first and foremost will be hoping for a clean getaway (something that plagued him in Japan). Once he's able to do that, he's one of the sure-shot contenders for points at the F1 Chinese GP.
