BETTING GUIDE: Who are the favourites as F1 heads to China for the first Sprint of the season?

Formula 1 jets off to the Far East this weekend after a chaotic season opener in Melbourne. But at such an early stage in the season, will it be advantage McLaren again or can Red Bull come back fighting in Shanghai? Here are what the odds tell us…

Odds are provided by F1's Official Betting Data Supplier ALT Sports Data and are presented in decimal form: for every $1 wagered you would win the figure represented by the odds; so, if Verstappen is favourite at 1.50, you would win $1.50 for every dollar bet.

The odds for the win

Lando Norris got his season off to a dream start in Melbourne, as he took charge of the Championship for the very first time, and he finished second here on Sunday last year.

But team mate Oscar Piastri made his title intentions clear with a strong showing at the season opener, despite that late spin that dropped him from second to ninth at the flag. He is no pushover – but what of the others?

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Max Verstappen showed his class in Melbourne, finishing less than a second behind Norris, and he returns to Shanghai where he won the Sprint and the Grand Prix last time out.

The odds for a podium finish

With McLaren seemingly looking dominant in the dry, it is no surprise to see short odds for both Norris and Piastri. The Australian is looking for his first podium of the year, and to start to eat into his team mate's already considerable points advantage.

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George Russell bagged a podium in Melbourne, but he might not be as confident here – unless some chaos befalls his rivals. There are many unknowns in Shanghai though, not least the new track surface – so tyre wear could very much come into this one on Sunday.

The odds for a top-six finish

Ferrari did not get a car home in the top-six in Australia, after an unusually lacklustre showing. Can they put that right this weekend? Norris thinks so – he believes the Scuderia have a lot more pace than they showed on Sunday.

If he is right, who will get bragging rights between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc? The Monegasque has more experience of this car and seemed to have the edge in Melbourne, but Shanghai is a place where Hamilton tends to go well – he's won here six times in the past...

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The odds for a top-10 finish

Australia threw up some surprising results, with the midfield able to bag big points. Alex Albon headed it in fifth place, while Lance Stroll was sixth and Nico Hulkenberg seventh.

That left Alpine, Haas and the Racing Bulls as the only teams without a score – but can they change that this weekend? Yuki Tsunoda said his team struggled here last season, while Haas appear to be off the pace of their rivals.

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Alpine therefore might fancy their chances, especially given rookie Jack Doohan does have experience of this track from his Asian F3 days.

Winning car odds

No surprises here – McLaren are favourites to grab the win, with both drivers starting the season in good form. Red Bull remain second, despite Liam Lawson being unproven at the front of the field.

He had a difficult time of it in Australia, but has an immediate chance to bounce back. Ferrari nip ahead of Mercedes though which is interesting, given their struggles in Melbourne. Perhaps having two experienced drivers has made the difference, although rookie Kimi Antonelli gave a very good account of himself for Mercedes last weekend.

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Odds for the fastest lap

Norris bagged the quickest lap in Melbourne, but so much there depended on tyre wear, with the field on intermediates late on on a drying track.

With Shanghai expected to stay dry, much will depend on who has the freshest tyres late on when fuel loads are low. Will it be a driver in the top 10 trying to fight into the DRS zone of a rival who bags the fastest lap, or perhaps someone racing for honour and pride further down the field? Here are what the odds say.

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