Heineken Chinese Grand Prix
Location: Shanghai, China
Course: Shanghai International Circuit
Course Length: 5.45km
Laps: 56
Formula 1 Race Preview
The new rule and energy regime made its debut last weekend in Australia to mixed reviews. The race featured plenty of overtaking and an intriguing battle for the lead during the early laps, though the new rule's emphasis on energy conservation rather than effective braking and tire management was a turnoff to some viewers.
As is often the case at the start of a new rules set, there was also a wide disparity between the haves and have-not constructors. Mercedes has the clear upper hand, while Williams, and particularly Aston Martin, lag behind.
Key Stats at Shanghai International Circuit
Races: 18
Winners from pole: 11
Winners from top-5 starters: 16
Winners from top-10 starters: 18
Previous 10 Chinese Grand Prix Winners
2025- Oscar Piastri
2024- Max Verstappen
2019 - Lewis Hamilton
2018 - Daniel Ricciardo
2017 - Lewis Hamilton
2016 - Nico Rosberg
2015 - Lewis Hamilton
2014 - Lewis Hamilton
2013 - Fernando Alonso
2012 - Nico Rosberg
F1 will make its way to the Shanghai International Circuit for the third consecutive season. It's also the first sprint of the season, which could help significantly when setting DFS lineups.
The characteristics of the track will also make for an interesting weekend. The track includes two long straights, as well as both high and low speed corners. That has caused a significant strain on the tires, as did a track resurfacing that occurred prior to last year's edition of the race. That increased grip and caused further graining on the tires. Track evolution helped this phenomenon later in the weekend last year, so Pirelli believes graining could be lessened this year. Practice sessions and the sprint portion of the weekend should give something of a clue as to whether that is true or not.
More importantly, the lower speed corners and heavy braking areas project to allow cars to run at full battery power for most of the lap, rather than the prevalence of lifting and coasting in Australia. The top cars, teams and drivers should excel, which could lead to different results than in the Australian Grand Prix.
RotoWire F1 DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Chinese Grand Prix
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
Tier 1 DraftKings Values
George Russell - $13,400
Max Verstappen - $12,400
Charles Leclerc- $11,400
Lewis Hamilton - $10,400
Kimi Antonelli – $10,000
Tier 2 DraftKings Values
Lando Norris - $9,600
Oscar Piastri - $8,600
Tier 3 DraftKings Values
Isack Hadjar - $7,400
Oliver Bearman - $6,000
Arvid Lindblad - $5,600
Liam Lawson - $5,000
Tier 4 DraftKings Values
Nico Hulkenberg - $4,600
Gabriel Bortoleto - $4,200
Carlos Sainz Jr. - $4,000
Constructor DraftKings Values
Mercedes - $13,000
Ferrari - $12,000
McLaren- $10,500
Racing Bulls - $4,400
Haas - $4,100
Audi - $3,700
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Chinese Grand Prix
Captain – George Russell - $20,100
Charles Leclerc - $11,400
Oliver Bearman - $6,000
Gabriel Bortoleto -$4,200
Carlos Sainz Jr. - $4,000
Constructor- Audi - $3,700
It's an interesting weekend from a sample perspective, as we have only race under the new rules set. However, relative to other weekends, there will be far more meaningful running as two practice sessions will be scrapped in favor of sprint qualifying and the sprint shootout. Including qualifying, there should be three points of reference prior to lineups locking as opposed to only one. Things could look quite a bit different than what is projected in this article (written prior to any of the weekend's sessions), so keep an eye out for the early portions of the weekend play out.
It would be a surprise to see a team other than Mercedes or Ferrari lead the way, unless Max Verstappen surpasses them. That makes the drivers included in Tier 1 relatively straightforward. Deciding exactly who to include in lineups can wait until after qualifying, but one of those drivers is a strong choice at captain. There should also be enough value that a combination of two drivers from the tier is possible.
From there, it makes sense to prioritize value options within the teams with a legitimate chance to score points. Haas looked to be the best team in the midfield, making Esteban Ocon and Bearman solid values. Bearman looks to be the faster driver of the duo, making him a priority in the middle tiers of pricing.
For those who want to build through two drivers in Tier 1, including a combination of cheap drivers and constructor will be necessary. Audi is another team that should contend for low-end points finishes most weekends, and Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg are evenly matched. Both are decent options, but Bortoleto checks in $400 cheaper.
Williams has been a huge disappointment through testing and first race of the season, but their driver lineup is capable of getting the most out of the car. Sainz is the cheaper option of the duo, though Albon does seem to have the upper hand.
Constructors and the Captain are the most expensive roster spots, and it will likely only be possible to roster one top-end option of those two spots. It should be easier to get value out of the Constructor, with Audi and Haas looking like the best options. Bortoleto and Hulkenberg are a very solid driver duo, while Ocon hasn't shown the ability to consistently get the most out of his car since joining Haas.
F1 Best Bets for the Chinese Grand Prix
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 4:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner – George Russell (-140), Charles Leclerc (+600), Max Verstappen (+750)
Podium Finish – Oscar Piastri (+850), Lando Norris (+850), Max Verstappen (+110)
Points finish – Oliver Bearman (-105), Nico Hulkenberg (+185), Gabriel Bortoleto (+185)
Most of these picks align with the discussion above, particularly the race winners. McLaren hasn't been mentioned much, and they'll be a very interesting team to monitor this weekend. Piastri's Australian Grand Prix turned out to be a disaster, but he qualified fifth and was seven-hundredths of a second away from starting third.
Haas, Audi and Racing Bulls can all contend for points, but Haas and Audi have the longer odds of the group and provide good value for the time being.
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