Act Two of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship is set for the Shanghai International Circuit and there is a lot for this race to live up to after the dramatic opening round in Melbourne last week.
On the plus side the weather is forecast to be a lot more favourable for some fast racing on Sunday afternoon, and there will be more than a few drivers out to atone for disappointing efforts.
All bar one member of the rookie class failed to finish the first race of the season with Isack Hadjar on Racing Bulls not even making it to the start line after his formation lap spin out.
Meanwhile the Ferrari duo were left red faced after another strategic snafu cost them a potential race win and Lewis Hamilton’s interactions with his new race engineer dominated the broadcasts.
Find out who we are backing to rule the track in the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix below.
Track Stats
- Direction: Clockwise
- Lap Distance: 5.451km
- Total Laps: 56
- Race Distance: 305.066km
- Lap Record: 1:32.238 (Michael Schumacher, 2004)
- 2024 Podium: Max Verstappen (RBR), Lando Norris (MCL), Sergio Perez (RBR)
- Most Event Wins: Lewis Hamilton (2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019)
Race Winner
While there were a few nervous moments in the McLaren garage when the rain passed over the track late on in the race, Lando Norris would have felt pretty good about his performance claiming the season opening win at Albert Park.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen showed he is not going to relinquish his title willingly though, pushing Norris all the way to the finish line and might be the value play in this market at $4 to win.
Perhaps it is a bit early in the season to anoint Ferrari as legitimate challengers despite their driver lineup as it certainly seems like they have some things to work out behind the scenes.
Which then brings us back to the trio of Norris, Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, with the Aussie set to challenge his teammate for overall honours until his late spin out dropped him way down the order.
It’s a boring pick but Norris certainly looks like the one to beat and is the first bet in this market.
Lando Norris to Win @ $1.91
Winning Margin
Were it not for the weather in Melbourne (yes there’s a theme here), Lando Norris could have adequately filled the role Verstappen has performed over the last few years of the driver who leads from start to finish and cruises to a comfortable victory.
If the Brit can get himself onto the front row of the grid and maximise his start, he could spend the whole race driving in clean air while the rest of the field fights for positioning after him.
Last year Verstappen finished 13.773 seconds ahead of Norris and we could see an even bigger margin this time around.
11 or More Seconds @ $1.80
Podium Finish
While it might be overly optimistic backing Ferrari to challenge for the race win, there is a case to be made for their chances of putting a driver on the podium.
Were it not for a boneheaded strategy decision late on, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could have finished higher than eighth and tenth respectively and weather does not look like a factor here.
In terms of value, the trio of Norris, Piastri and Verstappen are not worth backing and there is a real sense that one of the three short priced drivers will disappoint on race day.
Leclerc is on the fourth line of betting and he looks like the better selection while Lewis Hamilton gets on the same page as his race engineer and learns the nuances of the Ferrari.
Norris, Verstappen and Leclerc look like the trio to take out the maximum points in this race.
Charles Leclerc Podium Finish @ $2.75
SGM: Norris, Verstappen, Leclerc Podium Finishes @ $9.12
Top 6 Finish
Can an outside driver crash the big six party, or will it be more of the same?
There was a lot to like about the performance of Alex Albon in Melbourne and he will no doubt want to put his best foot forward this weekend to show it wasn’t a fluke.
But the better value might like with his teammate Carlos Sainz who will no doubt be eager to show his former team Ferrari that he should still be driving for them.
The Spaniard suffered an unfortunate first lap crash in Melbourne but I’ll be happy to take him to bounce back in a big way.
Carlos Sainz Top 6 Finish @ $2.60
Points Finish
It didn’t come through last week but punters should not be scared off backing Fernando Alonso to finish in the points and it remains one of the best bets week in week out at over even money.
His teammate Lance Stroll showed more composure than we are used to last week as well, managing a respectable sixth finish in Melbourne for the second straight year.
Shanghai was not overly kind to the Canadian last year but one thing you can say about him is that he is a streaky driver for better or worse.
Over the last two seasons he has earned points in consecutive races on seven occasions (eight if you count Abu Dhabi 2023 and Bahrain 2024).
He is just as likely to end the race with some more points on his tally for the season as he is to end up crashing into a wall but at that price he’s worth a pop.
Fernando Alonso Points Finish @ $2.20
Lance Stroll Points Finish @ $5.00
Number of Classified Finishers
Taking almost the entire field feels like a far more risky bet than in previous years because of the number of rookies on the grid, however in far easier conditions the potential for chaos is reduced significantly.
Expect those youngsters that failed to finish in Melbourne to adopt a slightly more conservative approach this time around as they try to get to the finish line on this designed race circuit.
There is every chance that the entire field makes it through the entire rate.
Over 18.5 Finishers @ $2.35
Over 19.5 Finishers @ $4.25
Chinese GP Same Game Multi
Norris to Win, Verstappen Podium Finish, Alonso Points Finish @ $8.35