Five big Chinese Grand Prix questions we want answers to
Lando Norris already holds a 23-point lead over McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri after the first race of F1 2025
The second round of the F1 2025 season will take place at this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit.
As Lando Norris and McLaren aim to make it two in a row at the start of the new season, here are five pressing questions entering the Chinese GP…
Just how big is McLaren’s advantage in ‘normal’ conditions?
McLaren delivered on their promise as pre-season favourites in Australia as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured a front-row lockout with a sizeable gap to Max Verstappen in third.
And in what had the feel of a breakthrough moment after the lost wins of Sochi 2021 and Canada/Britain 2024, Norris and the team managed to navigate a tricky race to convert pole position into a fine victory.
It puts Norris in the lead of the World Championship for the first time, knocking Verstappen off the summit of the Drivers’ standings after three years on top.
Yet just how big is McLaren’s advantage over the opposition? The conditions and dramatic nature of the race in Melbourne means that question remains unanswered.
Last time out: Australian Grand Prix analysis
? Australian GP conclusions: Norris 2.0, the Max factor and why Hamilton needs time
? Australian GP driver ratings: Who mastered the storm in Melbourne?
If Albert Park isn’t much of a representative circuit, the front-limited Shanghai track isn’t really either.
But it is a more conventional venue. And with a settled weather forecast, this weekend should provide a more accurate guide of the MCL39’s real pace.
China was the last sighting of the old McLaren – and, for that matter, the old Red Bull too – a year ago as Norris battled with an inferior car to split the dominant Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez on the podium.
Two weeks later, the world as we knew it had changed as Norris stormed to his maiden F1 win in Miami.
If the Norris/McLaren duo were that good here in 2024, expect them to be out of reach this weekend.
Can Oscar Piastri strike back against Lando Norris?
If, as many suspect, McLaren are streets clear of the rest, Piastri’s spin in Australia wasn’t great news for a potential 2025 title battle.
Already he finds himself trailing Norris by 23 points after one race, a single little, annoying mistake marring what had otherwise been an impressive weekend.
Unlike the eras of Hamilton/Mercedes (2017-20) and Verstappen/Red Bull, a season of total McLaren dominance could be rescued by a fascinating inter-team battle between Norris and Piastri.
Equally talented, yet with two very different personalities, it promises to be the most compelling fight between two team-mates at the front of the grid this side of Hamilton vs Rosberg.
For the sake of this season, Piastri needs to hit back and quick.
Will the real Scuderia Ferrari please stand up?
If the Formula 1 World Championship could be won on hype alone, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari would have won the lot back in January.
But it is not. It is won on performance.
And the performance of driver(s) and team left a lot to be desired in Australia.
Given the sheer amount of changes to the car – described by Fred Vasseur as “completely new” – over the winter for this final season of the regulations, it was to be expected that Ferrari would take a slight step back at the start of 2025 in the hope of having more scope for development across the season.
Yet the team’s poor outing in Australia did not suggest that a title challenge will be within their reach in 2025.
Reports from Italy over recent days have indicated that Ferrari were wrongfooted in Australia, where the ride height of their baseline setup – in place when Charles Leclerc set the pace in Friday practice – proved too close to the ground.
The subsequent adjustments for the remainder of the weekend, it is said, left the car heavily compromised on Saturday and Sunday.
As with McLaren, a calmer weekend at a more conventional circuit should provide a better indication of where Ferrari really stand.
Can Liam Lawson overcome a rough start at Red Bull?
If Liam Lawson is to be believed, everything should start to get a little easier once this race is over.
As he told media including PlanetF1.com in pre-season testing, he is not only adapting to the Red Bull at this stage of 2025 but also the circuits having never previously raced in Melbourne or Shanghai.
His lack of experience at these venues makes for an extra inconvenience in a sport in which first impressions stick and a situation in which he will be judged quickly.
Yet before he can start thinking of the more familiar surroundings of Suzuka (where he raced in Super Formula), Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, he must first navigate what has the potential to be another tricky weekend.
In Australia, Lawson joined Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez on the roll of dishonour by becoming the latest driver to fail to reach Q3 on his Red Bull debut.
A second consecutive Q1 exit in China would start to make things uncomfortable.
Can Jack Doohan keep silencing the doubters?
Aussie Grit, it seems, lives on in Jack Doohan.
As Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes acknowledged on Sunday in Australia, Doohan has “had a lot slung at him” over recent weeks, much of it caused by his own team.
And, yes, even though his race did end on the opening lap after touching a painted white line, Doohan came away from last weekend with a lot of credit after showing promising pace in qualifying and dignity in the face of those constant questions surrounding his future.
The rumours that Franco Colapinto will be in that seat soon are clearly not going to go away, so Doohan is going to just have to make them by virtue of his own performances.
Much like Lawson, 2025 should start to get a little easier one this opening series of far-flung flyaway races is over.
The ever-present challenge facing Doohan, of course, is to ensure that he makes it to that point.
