Track Preview: China

Last Year's Pole Sitter: Nico Rosberg (1:35.121)
Last Year's Winning Driver: Nico Rosberg
Last Year's Winning team (most points): Mclaren
Most Successful Active Driver: Lewis Hamilton
Downforce: Medium-Low
Tire Wear: High
Chance of Crashing: 5.5/10

The Chinese Grand Prix last year was full of surprises, from Nico Rosberg and Mercedes AMG Petronas' maiden win to the long train of cars that sent Raikkonen from 2nd to 12th within laps. I would say without a doubt that it was one of the best races of the year.This year, it seems it could be just as promising. Alonso will be looking to get his first win, Vettel will be on pole (like always), and Mercedes will be looking to capitalize on their momentum (plus the fact that they have added pressure because they won last year). The China track is tricky and technical, much like India and Malaysia. Incorporating long straights, tight hairpins, and medium speed 90-degree corners. The downforce would lean more to the low side because the track is famous for its 2 giant straights at the end of the lap. Crashing is a possibility because of the first corner that resembles the one in Malaysia, however it could be avoidable. The main feature of the Chinese Grand Prix however, is the intense tire wear. As previously mentioned Raikkonen dropped from 2nd to 12th because of his tire wear. This year, it will be even more of a topic because of the even more degradable tires Pirelli has supplied this year.



My Predictions:

Pole: Vettel
Winner: Alonso
Expert's Pick: Raikkonen

Driver Quotes:

Nico Rosberg:

“I travel to China next week with very good memories from winning my first Formula One race in Shanghai last year, and having led the race there for the past three years. I enjoy the Shanghai track a great deal and I have a positive feeling going there with the car that we have at the moment. The team have been working very hard to develop our car since returning from Malaysia..."

Ross Brawn:

"Our season has started well, perhaps better than we expected, however we're fully aware that there is still a gap to close and that we must keep up the pace of development. A lot of hard work has taken place at our factories over the last two weeks to do just that and I look forward to seeing how that translates to track performance. The Chinese Grand Prix race is well established now in its tenth year and it's an important market for both Formula One and Mercedes-Benz. The circuit itself is challenging with fast curves, tight corners and two hairpins. The layout requires good straight-line speed, braking stability and traction, and the temperatures are likely to be cooler than we have experienced in the first two race weekends.”

Jenson Button:

“In a funny way, the Chinese Grand Prix almost feels like something of a reboot of the start of my season. Taking home two points from the first two races obviously wasn't what we had in mind at the beginning of the year, but I think everybody in the team has picked themselves up and really attacked the task of addressing our car’s issues. We know where we’re losing performance, so I think we’re actually all looking forward to seeing just what we can achieve in Shanghai."