Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton return to the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, a year after Hamilton’s Saturday sprint victory in Shanghai, with both hoping to turn the page on a challenging season.

The Scuderia have not won a Formula 1 race since then, and their last grand prix triumph came in 2024. At last weekend’s Australian season-opener, Ferrari were competitive, with Charles Leclerc finishing third and Hamilton fourth behind George Russell and Kimi Antonelli’s one-two finish.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the challenge after Melbourne: “For me, the prevailing feeling is now we have a fight on our hands with Ferrari.”

While Mercedes remain favorites, Russell leads the championship, and Hamilton endured a winless 2025 season without a single podium, the seven-time world champion is cautiously optimistic ahead of round two.

China: a circuit of history and fortune
Hamilton has a strong record in Shanghai, with six career wins between McLaren and Mercedes, and Ferrari’s loyal Chinese fanbase gives the Italian team a boost, as the color red symbolizes happiness and good fortune. Last year, Hamilton won the Saturday sprint, although both cars were later disqualified on Sunday.

“Of course, we’re not as fast as Mercedes, we’ve got work to do, but we’re right in the fight,” Hamilton said after Melbourne. “I do believe we can close the gap.”

Leclerc was encouraged by Ferrari’s pace in Australia but warns that Shanghai, the first sprint weekend of F1’s new engine and chassis era, will present fresh challenges. “It’s going to be super crucial to be on top of everything, which will be extremely difficult,” he said. “To have a Sprint race so early in a season like this will be a huge challenge for everybody.”

Sprint format adds pressure
The sprint weekend reduces Friday practice to just one hour, putting a premium on every lap as teams adapt to new cars. The Sprint race also awards eight points to the winner, making strategy and efficiency even more critical.

Australia saw 120 overtakes compared to 45 the previous year, as Russell and Leclerc battled aggressively with energy management playing a bigger role. Russell expects Shanghai to be very different due to its two long straights. “The majority of drivers will be using their energy on that one straight,” he said.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur added: “Conditions will probably be much colder in China. And with the Sprint format, there’s much less time to adapt the strategy. It will be a completely different exercise.”

Other teams in focus
McLaren appeared the third-fastest team in Australia, with Lando Norris performing well after teammate Oscar Piastri crashed before the start. Piastri won last year’s main race in China, with Norris second.

Red Bull hopes for better fortune after only Max Verstappen finished in Melbourne, following Isack Hadjar’s retirement. Aston Martin faces a tougher weekend, struggling with powertrain issues that limited running. “That will be optimistic but we can try,” said Fernando Alonso, a two-time Shanghai winner.

This weekend promises a mix of high stakes, sprint strategies, and a chance for Hamilton and Ferrari to reclaim glory in Shanghai.