The opening round of the 2025 Formula 1 season was pure carnage due to the weather, but McLaren’s Lando Norris laid down a marker in Australia as he bids to land the drivers’ championship for the first time in his career.
There is no rest for the wicked as the roadshow heads to China and drivers will need to be on their a-game from the word go as it is the first Sprint Weekend of the year.
Our tipster Alex Harris kicked off the campaign with two winning selections and has run the rule over Paddy Power’s Chinese Grand Prix betting with a fine-tooth comb to pick out a few fancies.
F1 Tips
Sprint Race – Oscar Piastri
Sprint Race Top 8 Finish – Alex Albon
Chinese Grand Prix – Lando Norris
WHEN: Sunday, 23rd March – 07:00
WHERE: Shanghai International Circuit
TV: Sky Sports F1
Sprint Race – Oscar Piastri
The lack of practice time means McLaren should be setting the pace from the off – and it is difficult to look beyond either of their drivers for the Sprint Race.
There was not too much separating Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Australia before the latter’s costly spin – and his superior record in Sprint Races (two wins compared to one) makes him the value play at the prices.
Sprint Race Top 8 Finish – Alex Albon
Alex Albon delivered on Williams’ promise in Australia to bag a fifth-place finish and nearly equal his entire points total for last term.
The teams have just one practice session in China to set up their cars for Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint Race so those that performed well in Australia should be on the front foot here.
There are also six drivers that have never tackled the Shanghai International Circuit in a Formula 1 car – including Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson – so the door looks wide open for Albon to secure a top-eight finish in the Sprint Race.
Chinese Grand Prix Winner – Lando Norris
A settled and warm weather forecast further emphasises my thoughts that McLaren should dominate the weekend, especially as the MCL39’s predecessor worked well in hot conditions.
It looks like an open goal for the constructors’ champions because Red Bull don’t fancy their chances as they have historically struggled at the Shanghai International Circuit, Ferrari need to bounce back from an underwhelming start to the season and Mercedes are solid but unspectacular.
While it’s worth chancing Piastri in the Sprint Race, Norris is likely to have the upper hand over the longer format of the Grand Prix.
The Brit heads to China in confident mood after completing the hat-trick in Australia last week and he impressed in last year’s Chinese Grand Prix when climbing from fourth on the grid to the second step of the podium.
Chinese Grand Prix Tips
Sprint Race – Oscar Piastri
Sprint Race Top 8 Finish – Alex Albon
Chinese Grand Prix – Lando Norris
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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