Chinese Grand Prix Preview

The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on Sunday April 15 is the third race of the 2012 F1 calendar and promises to continue what has been an explosive and eventful start to the new season.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton will go into the weekend with a narrow lead in the Drivers Championship and the Brit will be keen to secure his first Grand Prix victory of the campaign following his third in Melbourne and runner-up finish in Sepang.

After two perfect qualifying team performances, McLaren look to have obtained an early edge over their competitors in terms of pace and Hamilton should be ready to capitalise in Shanghai which boasts the longest back straight out of all the F1 tracks.

Hamilton’s sheer pace is likely to leave teammate Jenson Button trailing in his wake and the 5/2 available definitely looks worth taking as another pole position seems ominous.

Button crashed out in Sepang after taking the chequered flag in Australia and he will also be keen to turn in a strong performance.

The circuit is unlikely to suit Button as well as Hamilton however the 2009 World Champion should get a good tow through the race and a podium finish is surely nailed on at a shade of odds-on.

With the season at such an early stage, information is certainly thin on the ground with regards to the long term wellbeing and potential of the teams – however distress signals are still arising from Ferrari despite Fernando Alonso’s tremendous victory in Malaysia.

Rather than dwell on that success, the Spaniard was keen to point out that his car still requires a lot of work, improvement and attention as both he and Felipe Massa are struggling for pace on the main.

With the Shanghai circuit notorious for giving engines a hard time, Ferrari definitely look best left alone this time around.

The Red Bulls have also struggled for outright speed through the first two races of the season however they will surely experience some form of improvement in China.

Veteran Mark Webber has been solid if unspectacular so far after recording a brace of fourth place finishes and the Aussie can build on that in race three by reaching the podium.

Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel is already languishing in the Drivers Championship and he will feel a similar result is also necessary in order to stay in the hunt.

The return of Kimi Raikkonen has set a lot of people talking however his class cannot be questioned -as demonstrated by his performances so far in the Lotus.

The Finn may also relish the conditions in China and has to be considered seriously alongside Michael Schumacher who hardly got the rub of the green in Malaysia after being tagged out of contention early in the race.

New F1 star Sergio Perez also warrants a major watch in the Sauber following his outstanding second in Sepang, nevertheless a repeat seems unlikely here providing the main protagonists can stay on track for the duration.

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28/03/2012     © Frixo 2024