Six biggest talking points ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix

Arriving in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix, the scene is all but set for a very spirited competition as teams try to push their limits and drivers pull out the stops to face each other in battle.
1. Can McLaren dominate in Shanghai?
McLaren, which had a strong performance in Melbourne, goes to Shanghai, where it is almost the favorite. The qualifying pace of nearly four-tenths quicker than Red Bull's Max Verstappen shows their speed. However, in Shanghai with sweeping corners and front-tyre demands, the track might be quite well-suited to McLaren. The sprint format means less practice time, making it really harder to gauge the true pecking order.
2. Is Ferrari falling behind?
Despite a rough result for the weekend in Melbourne, the SF-25 showed much promise in practice, with the slower corners balanced by Charles Leclerc's praise. The team struggled through the weekend with overheating and grip issues. To really be in the competitive pack, Ferrari will need to act quickly to establish if the difficulties were characteristic of the circuit or whether they indicate something more serious.
3. Can Williams and Racing Bulls keep up?
Williams impressed in Australia, with Alex Albon outqualifying both Ferraris and finishing fifth, highlighting their winter progress. Racing Bulls missed out on points, but Yuki Tsunoda’s strong pace showed their potential. If both teams keep improving, they could challenge the front-runners.
4. Will Liam Lawson rebound?
Melbourne was tough for rookie Liam Lawson, with poor qualifying, a power unit issue, and a race-ending crash in the rain. Though Red Bull boss Christian Horner backed his tyre gamble, Lawson admitted to his mistakes. With no experience in Shanghai and limited practice, he faces another challenge but has a chance for redemption.

5. Was Haas’ Melbourne disaster a one-off?
Haas had a tough time with both of their drivers having sluggish times in Australia. Poor single-lap pace in the VF-25 made scoring any points difficult. Neither did lucky rookie Bearwoman help in the equation, as even Ocon would not find performance. So a malfunction in China would jeopardize Haas to drift further behind in the constructors' points.
6. The sprint format shake-up
The first sprint weekend of the season will be held in Shanghai and will create yet some more unpredictability. After just one practice session before qualifying, the teams will have very little time to tighten their setups. This could give some opportunities for midfield teams to pounce if mistakes from the front-runners happen, providing an even more interesting battlefield for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Also Read: Weather forecast for Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai: Will we see another rain hit race?