Chinese Grand Prix Predictions & Betting tips - Formula 1

Prediction published on 20/04/2024, 06:30  by Devesh Jaganath

The fifth round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship takes us to the Shanghai International Circuit for the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday. Max Verstappen currently leads the 2024 F1 Driver standings with 77 points, followed by Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez (64) and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (59) in third. 

Max Verstappen had an outstanding Saturday in Shanghai, securing Red Bull's historic 100th F1 pole position heading into the Chinese GP. The Dutch driver dominated the session at the Shanghai International Circuit, setting the pace throughout and further improving in Q3 with an unbeatable time of 1m 33.660s. While the battle for P2 was intense, it was Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez who ultimately clinched the position. Despite a strong challenge from Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who briefly held second place after the first Q3 runs, Perez's performance in Q3 pushed Alonso back to a still commendable P3. McLaren's Lando Norris, who secured pole in wet conditions on Friday for the Sprint, finished fourth, with teammate Oscar Piastri following closely behind.

Qualifying in the Chinese GP brought disappointment for Ferrari this week despite their significant progress this season. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz managed only sixth and seventh place, respectively. Sainz faced a potential setback when he crashed at the final corner early in Q2 but managed to return to the pits for repairs under the red flag that ensued. However, the biggest surprise came from Mercedes, as seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton suffered an unexpected early exit. Hamilton locked up at the hairpin, resulting in an 18th-place starting position for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix. Meanwhile, George Russell progressed to Q3 in the sister Mercedes but could only secure eighth place, trailing dominant leader Verstappen by 0.773 seconds. Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top 10, securing ninth and tenth place, respectively.