BETTING GUIDE: Who looks set to shine at the first Sprint of the season in Shanghai?

Max Verstappen and Red Bull returned to winning ways last time out in Japan, but will they keep their place at the top of the pecking order as F1 returns to China and the Shanghai International Circuit?

With the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin all hoping to be in the mix alongside Red Bull as the first Sprint event of the season unfolds, let’s see what the odds tell us for the three days of action ahead…

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188BET’s odds 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

Shanghai is one of few venues on the F1 calendar at which Verstappen is yet to triumph, with China last hosting a race back in 2019, prior to his and Red Bull’s run of dominance, but the odds are heavily in his favour to change that statistic this weekend.

Indeed, the Dutchman is a long way clear of even team mate Sergio Perez in the pre-race forecast, followed by the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, while there is little backing for Aston Martin, McLaren and Mercedes.

Max Verstappen 1.15
Sergio Perez 13.0
Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc 15.0
Fernando Alonso, George Russell, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton 41.0
Oscar Piastri 151
Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll, Logan Sargeant, Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu 601

SUZUKA, JAPAN - APRIL 07: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing — Verstappen has never won in China, but he is the firm favourite for victory this weekend

The odds for who will be fastest in qualifying

Given his victory odds, Verstappen is unsurprisingly also tipped to take pole position around the 5.451km Shanghai track, though the Ferraris of Sainz and Leclerc are backed to mix it with – and potentially out-qualify – Perez’s Red Bull.

Rolling back the years, Lewis Hamilton has the most poles in China, having claimed top spot in qualifying on six occasions, but Mercedes’ current level of performance means he sits a long way behind Verstappen on the list of odds.

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Max Verstappen 1.55
Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc 6.00
Sergio Perez 9.00
George Russell, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton 34.0
Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri 67.0
Alex Albon 151
Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu 301

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 24: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull — Verstappen has started on pole for all four races so far this season, but can he be stopped in China?

The odds for a podium finish

Red Bull have secured three one-two finishes out of a possible four so far this season, making both Verstappen and Perez clear favourites to stand on the podium again here, followed closely by Ferrari pair Sainz and Leclerc.

McLaren’s Lando Norris is the only driver outside Red Bull and Ferrari to make the rostrum in 2024, putting him next on the list, with a significant gap back to team mate Oscar Piastri and Mercedes duo Hamilton and George Russell.

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Max Verstappen 1.10
Sergio Perez 1.40
Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc 1.60
Lando Norris 3.50
George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri 11.0
Fernando Alonso 21.0
Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant, Lance Stroll Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu 151

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The odds for a top-six finish

The margins are much tighter here, with Red Bull and Ferrari leading the odds to score strongly, followed closely by the McLaren and Mercedes machines, and then the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.

After struggling with the updated AMR24 in Japan, Lance Stroll sits some way behind his team mate, but the Canadian still has a more favourable number than the usual gaggle of midfield runners behind.

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Max Verstappen 1.08
Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez 1.15
Lando Norris 1.30
George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri 1.60
Fernando Alonso 2.60
Lance Stroll 9.00
Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda 17.0
Alex Albon, Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg 26.0
Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu 41.0
Esteban Ocon, Logan Sargeant, Pierre Gasly 67.0

It’s set to be an action-packed weekend as F1 returns to China, with the Sprint format also in play

The odds for a points finish

The odds are even closer when it comes to finishing in the top 10 and scoring points on Sunday, with the usual suspects from Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin all up there and covered by little.

Yuki Tsunoda is also knocking on the door, though, having scored back-to-back points finishes in Australia and Japan, with RB team mate Daniel Ricciardo next on the list from Williams racer Alex Albon and the Haas machines.

Max Verstappen 1.07
Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez 1.10
George Russell, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton 1.15
Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri 1.20
Lance Stroll 1.60
Yuki Tsunoda 1.80
Daniel Ricciardo 2.60
Alex Albon, Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkenberg 3.00
Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu 9.00
Pierre Gasly 11.0
Logan Sargeant 13.0

SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 18: Yuki Tsunoda of Scuderia Visa Cash App RB during previews ahead of the — Tsunoda is looking to make it three points finishes on the bounce after his impressive recent displays

The odds for fastest lap

Verstappen and Leclerc have shared the spoils when it comes to fastest laps so far in 2024, holding two apiece, but will we see a new name added to the list this weekend?

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Max Verstappen 1.50
Sergio Perez 8.00
Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc 9.00
Lando Norris 13.0
George Russell, Lewis Hamilton 17.0
Oscar Piastri 26.0
Fernando Alonso 67.0
Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll, Logan Sargeant, Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu 301

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 02: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull — Verstappen and Leclerc have set all of the fastest laps between them so far this season

What are the odds for which team will take the most points?

Red Bull, looking to make it four one-two finishes in five races, are the clear favourites in this category, with Ferrari sitting second-best and little to separate Aston Martin, McLaren and Mercedes behind.

Red Bull 1.07
Ferrari 7.00
Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes 21.0
Alpine, Haas, Visa Cash App RB, Sauber, Williams 151

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The odds for a Safety Car appearing during the race

Four of the last five Chinese Grands Prix have featured a Safety Car appearance, with the odd one out being 2019 when only the Virtual Safety Car was deployed – meaning low odds for another outing.

Yes 1.60
No 2.20

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The odds for number of classified drivers

Reliability has been strong up and down the field so far in 2024, with all 20 cars finishing the season opener in Bahrain and at least 17 being classified across the other three rounds in Saudi Arabia, Australia and Japan.

Over 16.5 1.35
Under 16.5 3.00
Over 17.5 2.00
Under 17.5 1.70

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The odds for a winning margin

The biggest winning margin so far this season was Verstappen’s 22.457s advantage over Perez in Bahrain, while the smallest was Sainz’s 2.366s gap back to Leclerc in Australia, but what will that number be in China?