Lando Norris (4) Runs his McLaren Racing MCL38 during Sprint Qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit during the 2024 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix weekend (Source: McLaren F1 on X)
SHANGHAI— A week after Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen’s dominating Japanese Grand Prix victory, Formula 1 returns to the Shanghai International Circuit for the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix for the first time since 2019. Red Bull Racing is the expected favorite, but with some weather in the forecast, drivers like Lando Norris and Lance Stroll could show strength for a chance at victory.
The Chinese Grand Prix is hosted at the Shanghai International Circuit, a 3.387-mile-long course built in 2003 that welcomed Formula 1 for its first Chinese Grand Prix in 2004. It also hosts MotoGP, the World Endurance Championship and a handful of other championships at the circuit. From 2004 to 2019, the circuit continuously held F1 races, including the 1000th Grand Prix in 2019. However, the race has been absent from the F1 calendar since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before making its return in 2024.
Going into the Chinese Grand Prix, only half of the teams have brought updates, headlined with Alpine and Haas bringing major updates to their cars a race ahead than expected. Alpine brought wholesale updates to their floor for airflow while Haas brought updates to their own floor and changes to their engine cover. Mercedes and Williams both brought changes to the halo while Red Bull has changes to the headrest area, all for better airflow. The other five teams reported no changes for this weekend.
The Chinese Grand Prix marks the first time in 2024 that F1 will be running the Sprint weekend format, in which a shorter race will be run a day before the Grand Prix. The Sprint Weekend format sees another change for tweaks for better flow through the weekend as F1 tries to best appropriate time. The main change for 2024 is scheduling, as the Sprint Qualifying now occurs after the lone practice session ahead of the Sprint Race, while the Grand Prix qualifying occurs after the Sprint Race. These changes were made following the recommendations from drivers and teams following 2023.
The first and only practice in the return to the Shanghai International Circuit was met with even more importance as teams were ready to take to the track for their lone attempt to hopefully nail down setups ahead of Sprint Qualifying later. On a track that mixes low, medium and high-speed corners, teams immediately took to the track once the pit lights turned green, and even after a red flag due to a small grass fire in Turn 7, teams took as much time as possible to gather information.
By the time it was all said and done, a surprising name was at the top of the timing charts. Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin was the quickest, three-tenths clear of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren and Verstappen’s McLaren. Sergio Perez’s other Red Bull was fourth quickest, and Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas looked to be using their upgrades to their advantage and picked up the fifth quickest time.
Lance Stroll (18) sits in his car at the Shanghai International Circuit for the 2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix weekend (Source: Aston Martin F1 on X)
With the lone practice completed, teams turned their attention to the Sprint Qualifying with the possibility of rain looming.
Using the mandated Medium compound tires for the first round of Sprint Qualifying, teams were ready to take to the track once the pit lights turned green as a 60% chance of precipitation loomed ahead. As a few laps went on and times started to fall, it was Perez who set his Red Bull at the top of the charts, ahead of his teammate. Meanwhile, close to the bottom of the sheets, the Alpine pair of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly were trying to claw their way out of the first round, even with the updates to their Alpine cars.
But as the clock ran out for the first session, neither Alpine clawed their way out of the bottom five cars and didn’t move on to the next round. They were joined by both Williams of Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant who sandwiched the Visa Cash App RB of Yuki Tsunoda, who couldn’t gather a clean enough lap together to make it out of the first round.
After a short delay, once again for another small grass fire, teams headed out to the track as rain looked to be getting closer and closer. As drivers settled into their times, Verstappen brought his Red Bull to the top of the charts, letting the first batch of runs go through right ahead of the rain. Kick Sauber, showing impressive strength, even had home-country driver Zhou Guanyu at the cusp of making it into the top 10 for the final round right ahead of the rain coming in.
But while Guanyu was on the precipice of making the final round, Mercedes driver George Russell was about to be left out as the rain fell before he got a chance to make a clean attempt of a lap. He was joined by both of the Haas cars of Kevin Magnussen and Hulkenberg, along with the other Visa Cash App RB of Daniel Ricciardo and Stroll in his Aston Martin.
Rain continued to fall in the final round as teams went out on their Intermediate compound tires. Verstappen looked to continue his string of pole positions, but struggles with tire temperatures meant he was struggling for grip and had multiple lap times deleted. While Fernando Alonso, fresh from getting a new contract with Aston Martin signed through 2026, slid into an impressive quickest time, it was Lando Norris who found the quickest time of the session, albeit after some confusion with track limits and his time being deleted and then reinstated to claim pole for the first Sprint Race of the season.
Norris was followed by Lewis Hamilton and Alonso’s Mercedes, while Verstappen claimed the fourth-quickest time. Carlos Sainz placed his Ferrari fifth, ahead of Perez, while Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari survived sliding off track for the seventh-quickest time. Piastri’s other McLaren placed eighth, ahead of both of the Kick Saubers of Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu.
Teams now turn their attention to Saturday’s Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying, as even more rain is possible. Will Lando Norris be able to capitalize on his pole position, or will the three world champions starting behind him get the best of him?
