Verstappen dominated the field on Saturday, winning the Sprint Race and securing Red Bull’s 100th pole position in Formula One. He is expected to continue his success today at a venue where none of the Red Bull drivers have won before. With Max in great form, Perez is performing well as his teammate, and any result below a 1-2 finish for Red Bull would be disappointing. The real question is not who will win, but by how much the World Champions will win by.
Experienced Fernando Alonso leads the charge for Aston Martin, impressing everyone with his third place in Qualifying. He will start behind a motivated Lando Norris, who is looking to make up for his poor start in the Sprint Race. Both drivers are strong contenders for a podium alongside the Red Bull drivers.
It is unlikely that Oscar Piatstri will be able to keep up with his teammate Norris throughout the race unless he significantly improves his performance. However, the Australian driver has the potential to surprise everyone with a strong performance for McLaren. He is known for his ability to exceed expectations.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, starting in sixth and seventh place respectively, cannot be ruled out for a surprise after a weak Saturday. They admitted to sacrificing speed in Qualifying for today’s race, which will be a strategic challenge.
The driver starting in third place will likely come from the group starting in positions three to seven, as George Russell in eighth place does not have a car capable of finishing on the podium. Similarly, Lewis Hamilton, a six-time winner of the Chinese GP, will struggle starting in 18th on the grid with his Mercedes.
Nico Hulkenberg, who will start in ninth place, is in great shape, as he usually is during contract renewal negotiations. He will be aiming for points, just like a motivated Valtteri Bottas at Stake Sauber. Bottas, who previously won in China with Mercedes, will be looking to make an impact.
