2025 Chinese GP Preview – After Lando Norris fended off a late-charge from reigning world champion Max Verstappen to win a chaotic season-opening Australian Grand Prix for McLaren, round two of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the Shanghai International Circuit in China this weekend for the Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025. This will be the 18th Chinese Grand Prix since 2004 when it first debuted on the Formula One calendar. This will be the first Grand Prix of six to utilise the Sprint format.
2025 Chinese GP Preview – A look at the Shanghai International Circuit
The Shanghai International Circuit is a permanent racing circuit located in the Jiading District of Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.
Costing approximately 2.6 billion yuan ($450 million US), the circuit was financed by a joint ventured government-funded company, consisting of the Shanghai Juss Corporation, Shanghai National Property Management Co Ltd, and Shanghai Jia’an Investment and Development Co Ltd. Architectural.
Circuit designers Hermann Tilke and Peter Wahl began visiting and planning the area between April and May 2003 and with a team of 3000 engineers working around the clock, the site was transformed from swampland to international racetrack within 18 months to be ready for its debut on the Formula One calendar in 2004.
The circuit layout was inspired by Chinese character ‘Shang’, the first character in the name of the city Shanghai meaning ‘high’ or ‘above’.
Other symbols represented in its remarkable architecture originate from Chinese history, such as the team buildings which are arranged like pavilions in a lake to resemble the ancient Yuyan-Garden in Shanghai. The main grandstand with 29,000 capacity seating provides spectacular viewing of almost 80 percent of the circuit.
The circuit shows uniqueness with its change of acceleration and deceleration within different winding turns, making high demands on driver and car but also for its high-speed straights. Another one of the main features of the circuit is the ‘Tilke trademark’ long back-straight followed by a hairpin. These offer exciting overtaking opportunities.
The Shanghai International Circuit runs in a clockwise direction and is 5.451km (3.388 miles) in length with 16 corners.
The race distance is 305.066km (189.599 miles) in length with 56 laps in total.
Michael Schumacher holds the fastest lap record at the Shanghai International Circuit set in 2004 with a 1:32.238 in his Ferrari F2004.
Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most victories at the Chinese Grand Prix with six wins to his name.
Mercedes are the most successful constructors at the Chinese Grand Prix with six victories.
2025 Chinese GP Preview – A Lap Of The Shanghai International Circuit
Here is the onboard pole lap of the Shanghai International Circuit set at last year’s event by Max Verstappen in his Oracle Red Bull Racing Honda-RBPT RB20 racer. The Dutchman posted a 1:33.660. You can watch the video right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw8WpbDDmB8
2025 Chinese GP Preview – The Last Five Winners
2024: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing. 2023-20: Note Held. 2019: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2018: Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing. 2017: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2016: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG F1.
2025 Chinese GP Preview – Tyres
Pirelli, F1’s sole tyre supplier will be bringing with them to Shanghai, the white-marked C2 “Hard”, the yellow-branded C3 “Medium” and the red-marked C4 “Softs” over the race weekend including the green-marked “Intermediate” and blue-marked “Full Wet” tyres in case of rain.
Drivers will have six sets of the Softs, four sets of the Mediums and two sets of the Hards.
2025 Chinese GP Preview – DRS Zones
As in 2024, there will be two DRS Zones for the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. The first detection point is at turn 12 with the activation point 752 metres before turn 14. The second detection point is 35 metres before the final corner with the activation point 98 metres after turn 16 on the main straight.
2025 Chinese GP Preview – Pitlane Speeds
Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h during Practice, Qualifying and the Race.
ICYMI: Norris fends-off Verstappen to take victory in dramatic Australian GP
Norris Australian GP Victory – McLaren’s Lando Norris survived the rain, safety cars and a late excursion across the grass to score victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.
Beginning in the wet and with changeable conditions throughout the afternoon, Norris crossed the line as McLaren – when able – showcased its dominance over the entire field.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen was second for Red Bull, pushing Norris to the very end of the Grand Prix as last campaign’s top two were the pick of the field.
The curse of the home drivers continued on the streets of Albert Park as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished a low ninth after suffering dropping into the grass, having followed team-mate Norris off circuit on the 44th tour.
A satisfying day for Mercedes, with George Russell reaching the final place on the podium and kept himself out of trouble for the majority of the race.
Russell’s new team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli reached the chequered flag in fourth place and ahead of Alexander Albon’s Williams who scored an impressive fifth. Antonelli was demoted to fifth after a five-second-time-penalty, but the race stewards overturned the decision after Mercedes filed in a “Right of Review” request over the incident, which sparked the penalty.
Ferrari underperformed in yesterday’s qualifying and endured a difficult Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc finishing in eighth whilst Sir Lewis Hamilton took tenth after a risk with the wet weather went wayward.
There were also solid performances for Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll who was sixth and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg who followed in an excellent seventh.
The wild conditions saw four of the five rookies get caught out with Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, Alpine’s Jack Doohan, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson all crashing out of the race.
Wet weather throughout the day meant no decision whether to start the season-opener behind the safety car was taken until the very last moment, with a traditional standing start in order as the rain kept away and all 20 drivers opted to run the green-branded Intermediates.
Hadjar failed to make the race before it began after suffering a spin in his Racing Bulls VCARB02 entry at turn two, damaging his rear wing against the barrier, leading to an aborted race start and leaving the Frenchman upset.
Once the delayed race went green, Doohan lost his A525 entry into the wall as his hopes of performing well at his home Grand Prix were dashed, bringing out a safety car as a result of it.
It was not only the rookie drivers who were suffering, as Carlos Sainz, the defending Australian GP race winner, crashed his Williams at the last corner behind the safety car, forcing the Spaniard to end his race early.
By that part of proceedings, Verstappen had already overtaken Piastri in the opening corners to split the McLaren pairing, with Norris pulling away without incident to lead the field as the two accidents were cleared.
Racing returned to green on the seventh tour with the circuit continuing to dry and very rapidly as the drivers were having to run off-line to find wet patches to keep their intermediates in optimum working range.
Piastri fought his way back up to second as he closed in on Verstappen before the Red Bull driver made a rare error in the wet, running straight on at turn 11 and just avoided the gravel.
Verstappen was unhappy with his tyres and fell off the back of the McLaren drivers, when Piastri began to eat into team-mate Norris’s lead out-front.
The removal of Papaya Rules meant both Norris and Piastri were free to battle each other, but as the latter began to get closer, the Australian was told by his team to maintain position as both drivers started working through the first lot of backmarkers.
“Time to go racing,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown said to Sky Sports F1 after the Haas duo of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon had been lapped, although Piastri ran wide to give Norris some breathing space as the track entered the window for a consideration of slick tyres to be used.
The pit-stops were triggered as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was the next driver to end up in the wall; the Spaniard spun at turn six with Antonelli charging in, bringing out the safety car once more.
Norris and Piastri went straight for the C3 white side-walled harder compound whist Verstappen, who was nowhere near the top two runners before the Alonso shunt, put on a set of the C4 yellow-marked mediums ahead of the restart.
As Alonso’s wrecked AMR25 entry was cleared, everyone turned their attention to the skies as the threat of rain returned, although the 16 runners left were all on the slick tyre by the time the safety car returned to the pits.
Amazingly, those decisions were undermined instantly as heavy rain hit the Albert Park Circuit, with both McLaren drivers running off, Norris holding on to pit whilst Piastri ran onto the grass.
As Norris pitted, Verstappen claimed the lead for the first time in the Grand Prix and Hamilton moved up to second place after overtaking Ferrari team-mate Leclerc, Williams’ Albon and Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda.
With the rain intensifying, Ferrari opted to stay out as Sauber’s Bortoleto and Red Bull’s Lawson spin and deployed the safety car for a third time – ending the chances of Hamilton and Leclerc achieving a surprise result as they were both forced to pit for a set of intermediates.
Once again, Norris was leading a safety car restart with five tours left and the Briton was able to keep in-front of the field, whilst Leclerc got past team-mate Hamilton as the Ferrari drivers fought for the final points on offer.
Verstappen was charging in on Norris for the win in the closing stages of proceedings, but the Red Bull driver was unable to find his way by with Norris clinching the Australian GP victory by 0.895 seconds as Russell completed the podium for the Silver Arrows whilst Piastri put in a solid late pass on Hamilton to move up into ninth on the final lap.
2025 Chinese GP Preview – The Situation
After a dramatic season-opening Australian Grand Prix on the streets of Albert Park, Formula 1 heads straight to the Shanghai International Circuit for the Chinese Grand Prix and the first Sprint race of the season.
Lando Norris has the momentum after his victory on Sunday as he held off reigning world champion Max Verstappen in the closing stages with a solid performance.
McLaren are equal on 27 points with Mercedes in the World Constructor’s Championship standings thanks to George Russell’s third placed finish and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s taking fourth on his debut.
Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be pushing for a stronger weekend after a disappointing time at Albert Park, where a bad qualifying and poor strategy left them to take minor points.
Norris returns to Shanghai sitting on top of the World Driver’s Championship with 25 points and a seven-point advantage over Red Bull’s Verstappen who is second on 18 points whilst George Russell is a further 10 behind the Briton in third on 15 points.
The Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 weekend kicks off Friday March 21 with Free Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying, the 100km Sprint Race and Qualifying Saturday March 22 and the 56 lap Chinese Grand Prix Sunday March 23.