Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2026Formula 1 

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Jimlaad43

Jimlaad43

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After a...polarising first Grand Prix with the new regulations, Formula 1 heads to a more typical track layout for round 2. The many big braking points of Shanghai should allow for plenty of regen for the batteries but the long straights will still produce better lap times with the super clipping at the end, leading to the pretty rightful criticism of cars downshifting at the end of straights. Still, the racing shown in Australia promises that this won't be 2014 again with one team unchallenged at the front. Mercedes may have the advantage, but Ferrari are close. Reliability roulette is back in Formula 1. Will Aston Martin have enough batteries to finish the weekend? We have the first Sprint of the season so let's get ready for the CHINESE GRAND PRIX!
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Circuit Length
5.451km

First Grand Prix
2004

Number of Laps
56

Fastest lap time
1:32.238
Michael Schumacher (2004)

Race Distance
305.066km

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Gerarghini
Sector 3 is going to be so funny with these cars :lol:
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Shanghai should be a lot better for energy management than Albert Park, which is one of the worse circuits for it (Albert Park, Red Bull Ring, Monza and Jeddah are the 4 that were earmarked as concerns for energy management). It may be that odd thing of the long straight at Shanghai having less super-clipping than Albert Park.
 
There's a few big stops for regen then a big squirt on the exit which could test the reactions of the unwary. Hopefully it won't be a repeat of Piastri's incident last week but if your on max deployment the way the power hits looks pretty savage.
 
MagpieRacer
Shanghai should be a lot better for energy management than Albert Park, which is one of the worse circuits for it (Albert Park, Red Bull Ring, Monza and Jeddah are the 4 that were earmarked as concerns for energy management). It may be that odd thing of the long straight at Shanghai having less super-clipping than Albert Park.
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Hopefully by Monza, the issue will be sorted so there's abit of time well beforehand. Of course we won't even need to think about Jeddah for obvious reasons...
 
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toastet
I'm not sure they'll cancel Jeddah, Bahrain probably yes but I'm not convinced Jeddah too.
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I don't see them taking chances with this honestly, especially with how close Jeddah is (Its scheduled a week after Bahrain last I looked)
 
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They continued after a rocket strike nearby last time. Flight operations are normal over most parts of Saudi Arabia north-east including Riyadh ~900 kms away, most drivers and teams took that route to Melbourne. We'll see.

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I'd say the stakes are abit higher this time then just a rogue group (even if they should've taken heed last time as well). The noise will be even louder if they don't this time around.
 
Jeddah came under a lot of scrutiny if it should've even gone on during the last attack nearby. Saudi has already been attacked once during the recent conflict & despite Jeddah being a long distance from al-Kharj, I don't think it makes for good optics to cancel Bahrain, but not Jeddah just because of distance. Iran can strike as far as Egypt, Sudan, etc. if they felt emboldened to.
 
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Given how obsessively present both are at events and how much more quickly they were to address this situation then the Missile strike, I get the sense they are taking it alot more seriously. Because yes there is $$$, but you'd be afool to not think there is also an adverse risk to losing all that for THAT level of foolish decision making regarding what is arguably a far larger situation across a whole region then one isolated area.
 
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The teams are also in a position this time to simply refuse to go. That wasn't the case in 2022 as the sessions were active on circuit during the strikes and the alleged meeting that happened afterwards making it difficult for the teams to leave.
 
Ferrari, who noticed these issues and therefore designed their engine to be better with the current start rules, doesn't want the allow everyone who ignored their warnings to get compensation for their arrogance. We saw in Australia just how good the Ferraris are off the line compared to the rest of the grid, so why should they give up that advantage?
 
Ferrari did something smart for the first time in a long while and folks are mad that THEY didn't think of it first. Cope, seeth, all that stuff.
 
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If the rumors about Mercedes engines are true then Mercedes is selfish as well for not showing their customers how to maximize the engine and software so they can compete....typical George! 😮‍💨
 
Hopefully the Ferrari 180 Maranello F1 wing delivers as main weakness for Ferrari seems to be straight-line speed compared to their nearest rivals. On paper, this should be much stronger circuit for Ferrari so if they can take the fight to Mercedes here then it could be very promising for their championship hopes.

Will be interesting to see what kind of performance Mercedes can deliver on a more energy-rich circuit, whether if they still have the same advantage over customer teams or not here.

Hopefully Lewis can deliver here again.
 
Saidur_Ali
Hopefully the Ferrari 180 Maranello F1 wing delivers as main weakness for Ferrari seems to be straight-line speed compared to their nearest rivals. On paper, this should be much stronger circuit for Ferrari so if they can take the fight to Mercedes here then it could be very promising for their championship hopes.

Will be interesting to see what kind of performance Mercedes can deliver on a more energy-rich circuit, whether if they still have the same advantage over customer teams or not here.

Hopefully Lewis can deliver here again.
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Well first hotlap and Lewis had a massive spin while the rear wing tried to close in a braking zone, so that hasnt delivered so far.

15 minutes into FP1 and we have already had: Colapinto spin on out lap, Hamilton spin at the start of a braking zone, Norris and Hamilton colliding at the final corner, Hadjar raging on the radio, massive double lockup for Bortoleto, VSC for debris, Lindblad breaking down and forgetting to put his steering wheel back on, Antonelli twice going Purple-Purple-VSC ruined.
 
Jimlaad43
Well first hotlap and Lewis had a massive spin while the rear wing tried to close in a braking zone, so that hasnt delivered so far.

15 minutes into FP1 and we have already had: Colapinto spin on out lap, Hamilton spin at the start of a braking zone, Norris and Hamilton colliding at the final corner, Hadjar raging on the radio, massive double lockup for Bortoleto, VSC for debris, Lindblad breaking down and forgetting to put his steering wheel back on, Antonelli twice going Purple-Purple-VSC ruined.
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Yep, that was a concern due to the way it works. It seems OK on straight-line speed, hopefully it doesn't cost too much laptime having to close early, otherwise maybe better to go back to other wing. Disaster FP1 for Ferrari, hopefully both cars don't have floor damage.

So far Mercedes look far ahead and McLaren look closer like they believed they would be from learnings last week, only hope is Ferrari was sandbagging or it is at least more closer in the race.
 
Last year we had some of the closest qualification sessions in memory.
Now the top 10 are covered by 2.2 seconds.

Canadian Lol GIF
 
Fezzik
Last year we had some of the closest qualification sessions in memory.
Now the top 10 are covered by 2.2 seconds.

Canadian Lol GIF
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I don't really see what the fuss is about.

For one, it's an entirely new gen of cars. There's always going to be someone who's understood the rule changes the best, or found a loophole to have en edge over the rest. Red Bull has been untouchable in 2023 and 2024, yet people weren't complaining about it then. Brawn GP was in an entirely different league in 2009, yet people didn't complain.

The small gaps between the cars from last year is a result from teams developing the 2022 ruleset over multiple seasons. For all we know, next year is going to be as close in qualifying as 2025.

Second, the drivers only had a single practice session. There's only so much drivers can learn in a 1 hour session with these new cars.

I really don't get why people are yelling bloody murder about this gen of cars. Mercedes' engineers have just done the best job, period. It's also why I believe BOP does not belong in WEC (Hypercar), but that's a whole other discussion.
 
You’d have to dig deep into F1 history to uncover gaps of that magnitude. Layer on top of that machinery that’s both excruciating to handle and excruciating to watch, and it becomes glaringly obvious why this current era - this so-called “Formula E on steroids” - fails to ignite even a spark of excitement.

EDIT: I'm not only talking about the gap from Mercedes to the rest, but the gaps throughout the field.
In its current form it's just not it.
 
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If anyone wants to make the season slightly more interesting, you can join our Fantasy F1 game any time you want - though you'll be a round behind now, and have to get a team in at least an hour before the race qualifying session this weekend to not be two behind:

Famine

Thread 'GTPlanet Fantasy Formula One 2026'

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Back by apparently some demand for 2026!

Here are the rules - which are almost identical to those of 2025 with adjustments to account for the additional team, engine, and drivers:

  • You have 13 Tokens from which you must select one of each of: DRIVER 1, DRIVER 2, CHASSIS, and ENGINE.
  • You may, over the course of the season, swap CHASSIS and ENGINE once apiece, and you have two DRIVER swaps (whether that's 1 and 2, or either twice).
  • Additionally, you have one JOKER swap, for swapping your...

Currently a team comprising a Ferrari-powered Alpine, driven by George Russell and Alexander Albon is leading, from a Ford-powered Ferrari driven by Oliver Bearman and also Alexander Albon...
 

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