Lewis Hamilton opened his 2019 win account last time out in Bahrain, but it came in the wake of some mechanical gremlins which cost Charles Leclerc his first victory in Formula One. Can Ferrari fight back in China?
What time does it start? How can I watch it?
This weekend's Chinese Grand Prix is set to get underway at 2:10 p.m. local time, 7:10 a.m. (BST) and 2.10 a.m. (ET). For U.S. viewers, all of this weekend's sessions are live on ESPN:
Friday -- Practice
Practice 1 - Thursday, April 11, 9:55pm - ESPNEWS
Practice 2 - Friday, April 12, 1:55am - ESPN2
Saturday -- Qualifying
Practice 3 - Friday, April 12, 10:55pm - ESPNEWS
Qualifying - Saturday, April 13, 1:55am - ESPN2
Sunday -- Race
On The Grid - Sunday, April 14, 1:30am - ESPN2
Race - Sunday, April 14, 2:05am - ESPN2
U.K. viewers can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1. Check local listings for all other territories.
The burning question... Does Ferrari abandon its No. 1 driver notion?
Charles Leclerc may only be two races into his Ferrari career, but the 21-year-old has already proven to be a match for four-time world championship winning teammate Sebastian Vettel.
After Leclerc's sensational weekend in Bahrain, which although ended in heartbreak also saw him climb to top spot in ESPN's Formula One Power Rankings, Ferrari have a big decision to make. Do they continue to give Vettel No. 1 status or do they consider giving Leclerc a fair crack at this year's world title?
Last year we saw Vettel make mistake after mistake as Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes cruised to both world championships and Vettel's spin last time out in Bahrain proves he is still yet to overcome those demons. Ferrari cannot afford another year without success, after all, it's already been 11 years since they secured their last world championship, so maybe the big wigs should lean towards letting Leclerc fight it out with the Mercedes pair.
Any doubts on Leclerc should have quickly evaporated after his impressive start to the season and given he's already against playing second fiddle to Vettel, perhaps Ferrari has no choice in the matter but to let their two drivers decide it on track.
Which car will suit the track?
The Shanghai International Circuit often sees great and rather unpredictable racing which means the form guide can often be ignored.
However, the track layout is more similar to Sakhir than Albert Park which means Ferrari should be the team to beat, once again. That's not to say Mercedes can't win -- just look at what happened in Bahrain -- after all, they have won five of the last seven times in Shanghai.
Down the grid, keep an eye on Renault who performed strongly in China last year with both Nico Hulkenberg and former teammate Carlos Sainz qualifying and finishing the race inside the top 10. Perhaps a return to Shanghai is exactly what the doctor order for Daniel Ricciardo -- who won in China last year -- as he looks to bounce back from a difficult start to the season and rediscover some of his flare.
The stat files
5 -- The amount of times Hamilton has won in China (more than any other driver). It's also the amount of times Mercedes has won in China (more than any other constructor).
Hamilton and Vettel -- Together have taken 10 of the last 12 pole positions in China. Only three other drivers have ever taken a pole in Shanghai.
60% -- Pole position has won nine of the 15 races in China. Last year, Ricciardo won from sixth on the grid.
2010 -- The last time Vettel went into Round 3 of a season without a podium to his name.
8 -- The amount of current Formula One drivers to have ever led a lap in China. Perhaps surprisingly, Max Verstappen is not one of them.
Tyre talk
Available compounds: Hard C2 (white), Medium C3 (yellow), Soft C4 (red)
Mario Isolo, head of car racing -- "Last year, China was the first grand prix where there was a 'jump' in tyre nominations, something which contributed to an exciting race with an extra emphasis on strategy. Our C2, C3 and C4 hard, medium and soft nominations this time are roughly equivalent to the medium, soft and ultra-soft compounds we had in China last year. We are hoping that this choice will result in the same sort of entertaining action and a good mix of strategies. Shanghai is quite a complete track that contains a bit of everything, so it makes a solid all-round test of car and tyre performance. It should be a very memorable weekend."
Minimum starting pressures: Front 20.5 psi, rear 18.5 psi
Weather forecast
It's set to be an overcast weekend in Shanghai with temperatures hovering around the 17-21C mark from Thursday right through to Sunday.
Just like the first two races of the season, it's very unlikely we'll get rain in China, but the forecast has been wrong for this race more than once before...
ESPN's prediction
Hamilton has the form in China, but there's someone else in a quick red car that will be very eager to make amends for what happened in Bahrain.
Winner: Charles Leclerc