Lewis Hamilton is the undisputed king of the Chinese Grand Prix. He could retire from F1 now, and no driver would be able to match his record in Shanghai until 2028.
Hamilton has won six times in China, four more than any anyone else. Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg are the only other drivers with multiple victories at the venue.
The Briton took the first of those wins en route to his maiden title in 2008, and also beat the dominant Sebastian Vettel in 2011. Between 2014 and 2019, he stood on the top step four times in Mercedes colours.
The Chinese Grand Prix only recently returned to the calendar after a four-season, Covid-enforced absence. Max Verstappen was victorious last year.
Hamilton made a disappointing start to his Ferrari career in Australia, scoring a solitary point in 10th. Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc could only manage P8.
Valtteri Bottas’ Chinese Grand Prix predictions – Lewis Hamilton off the podium
Valtteri Bottas shared the podium with Hamilton, then his Mercedes teammate, in 2019. Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, he made his predictions for this weekend.
Bottas has backed Oscar Piastri to win the race after his heartbreaking P9 in Melbourne. Piastri looked like a victory contender but a spin ruined his race and extended Australia’s run without a podium finisher on home soil.
Mercedes reserve driver Bottas foresees a McLaren one-two, with George Russell repeating his third-place finish. Ted Kravitz picked Russell as a title contender on the basis of his consistency.
But Bottas implicitly thinks Hamilton will fail to score a podium in his first two races for a new team. This would be a first for his F1 career.
“I think Piastri will be quite disappointed by his mistake of going off, like Lando did,” he said. “He was a bit more unlucky. I think he’s going to turn that into a positive energy. Oscar is going to win this Grand Prix.
“It’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t [bounce back] if he’s performing at a similar pace to Lando. If that gap in the points keeps growing, eventually everyone knows what happens. For sure, he’s keen to get it done this weekend. That’s why I’m predicting him.
“Lando will be second, right on the tail. I think it’s going to be an interesting fight for third. Based on how the team operated in Melbourne, I’m going to say George Russell.”
Ferrari could face trouble with the FIA at the Chinese Grand Prix
Hamilton was third on his McLaren debut at the 2007 Australian GP. When he joined Mercedes in 2013, he only had to wait until round two in Malaysia.
Vettel won in Sepang in 2015, but Hamilton looks unlikely to repeat that feat so early on after an instant reality check. His tense exchanges with Riccardo Adami underlined the adaption process he faces.
Ferrari could be affected by the FIA’s rear-wing clampdown, based on paddock ‘whispers’. Bottas already believes they’re the fourth-fastest team.
Fred Vasseur is ‘disappointed’ with Ferrari’s winter, F1 pundit Guenther Steiner said after speaking to the team boss. The Tifosi will hope they’ve made a breakthrough in understanding the SF-25 during the short break between the opening rounds.
