F1 Chinese Grand Prix 2024 preview, betting picks & top odds

Formula One racing returns to the Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019, with the Chinese Grand Prix serving as the fifth race of the 2024 F1 World Championship.

It is also the first sprint weekend of the 2024 season, which should provide plenty of excitement with a race on both Saturday and Sunday.

As this is the first time this current generation of cars has driven around this circuit, there should be no shortage of drama as teams and drivers go in with little data to work off.

Championship leader Max Verstappen added to his lead in the last race in Japan as he achieved the grand slam of securing pole, the win and the fastest lap. With 77 points he leads Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez by 13 points, while Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc (59) and Carlos Sainz (55) are not too far behind.

2024 Chinese Grand Prix betting odds

Verstappen, as expected, remains a heavy favourite with F1 betting sites, followed by Perez and the two Ferraris. Offering greater value are the chasing pack of McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin, but they would be more suited to a podium or a top-six finish.

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – -625
• Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – +900
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +1400
• Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – +1400
• Lando Norris (McLaren) – +4000
• Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +5000
• George Russell (Mercedes) – +5000
• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – +5000
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +8000
• Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – +50000

More odds provided at Bovada

Chinese Grand Prix 2024 betting strategy

With little value in any of the other Verstappen markets, back the three-time champion to replicate his efforts in Japan by dominating the weekend. As the other Red Bull is the only car that can keep up, it is hard to see the Belgium-born star settling for anything less than the maximum points total as he searches for his first win at the circuit.

Sitting in eighth spot in the drivers’ championship and vastly outperforming his teammate, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso has continued to show his quality in 2024. He has finished inside the top 10 in every race, and the top-six finish in Japan was his second of the season. On a track where the McLarens and Mercedes are expected to struggle with the low-speed corners, Alonso offers good value to run in the top half-dozen again.

Racing at home for the first time in his F1 career, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu will be looking forward to putting on a show. He is pointless throughout the season so far, but he did secure an 11th-place finish in Bahrain. At +800 to earn a point, he offers great value with top F1 bookmakers.

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