Formula 1: What to watch for in Shanghai at the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix

Formula 1 moves to Shanghai after a thrilling night race in Bahrain. What can teams and drivers learn and implement from a short week turnaround?

From the desert lights of Bahrain to the sprawling metropolis of Shanghai, Formula 1‘s 2018 calendar is as eclectic as ever. As teams and drivers settle in at the 5.451-kilometer (3.388-mile) Shanghai International Circuit, here are the storylines for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

Pit stops

An average pit stop in F1 is just over two seconds long. It is truly a marvel to see. Unfortunately early in the 2018 season, it has not been so straightforward. Following dual botched stops in Australia for Haas, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen had a similar moment in FP2 in Bahrain.

He then had a disastrous stop during the race itself that left Ferrari mechanic Francesco Cigarini in the hospital with a broken leg, and it caused Ferrari to be fined €50,000 for “causing injury to personnel”. The FIA are investigating whether the wheel guns are causing pit stop problems, according to Motorsport Week.

Raikkonen claims it was a lighting system malfunction and that the lights told him it was safe to go. Teams have adopted the new pit stop lighting system in lieu of the standard “lollipop man” because of the Halo device. It would be more prudent for F1 to investigate the effects of the Halo on driver visibility during pit stops than to investigate wheel gun malfunctions.

So far, the malfunctions and incidents have only affected Ferrari-powered teams. If the trend continues, Sauber may be next. If it spreads to other teams, then there may be something wrong with the wheel guns.

Toro Rosso and Honda

The junior Red Bull team scored Honda’s best finish of the V6 hybrid era with Pierre Gasly’s P4 finish in Bahrain. They won a lot of support and Honda undoubtedly breathed a huge sigh of relief. With Shanghai being another power circuit, can Toro Rosso and Honda repeat?

On the other side, McLaren, Honda’s previous team, have struggled with Renault power and have solidly settled into the midfield. The Woking-based team got both teams into the points in Australia and Bahrain, but both cars missed out on Q3 in both races while the factory Renault team got both their cars in in both. Is this a case of moving on too early?

Currently, McLaren are third in the constructors championship with 22 points, which is a marked improvement over recent seasons. However, it’s an unsettling position with Haas improving and Toro Rosso doing better with Honda than McLaren ever did in the V6 hybrid era. If the gremlins attack McLaren again in China but Toro Rosso do well, will McLaren regret dropping Honda power?

Mercedes and Red Bull Racing

Alarm bells appear to be sounding off at Brackley as Mercedes trail Ferrari in both the drivers and constructors championships. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that the 2018 results haven’t been what the team were expecting and Lewis Hamilton says the team can’t lose “any more ground” to Ferrari.