PREVIEW: What to watch out for in Chinese Grand Prix

There are a number of stories already developing. Here are a few points to keep an eye out for during the race.

Strategy, fights, points, problems. There is a lot going on and some teams and drivers need a strong result more than others. Who will capitalise? Who will fall by the wayside?

HAMILTON VS VERSTAPPEN

Whatever you think about their tussle in Bahrain, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen alongside each other on the grid will definitely be something to keep an eye on from the word go.

Verstappen starts on the ultrasoft tyres whereas Hamilton is on the harder but more durable soft tyres. Who will be ahead by turn one? Will it stay that way? We doubt it.

STRATEGY: STICK OR TWIST?

Pirelli has skipped a compound for the first time by leaving the supersoft tyres back home. This could lead to a huge differential in tyre performance in race conditions which in turn gives the teams a bit of a headache.

Pirelli says a one-stop race is quickest going from ultrasoft to medium but after Sebastian Vettel's antics in Sakhir nursing a ruined set of soft tyres home, there is a window of opportunity for teams to roll the dice and some could convert to a two-stop race.

WARMER WEATHER

While it may have seemed all doom and gloom on Saturday with grey skies and cold conditions playing into the hands of Ferrari, Sunday promises to be a lot warmer than it was in qualifying and Mercedes are banking on their setup to work much better in the warmth of Shanghai.

Whether Ferrari's half-second advantage is maintained or the Silver Arrows can pull them back in remains to be seen but expect Mercedes to fight back as they did a week ago in Bahrain.

BEST OF THE REST

While there still may be a fairly large gap between the top three teams and the rest of the field, the fight behind the usual suspects is closer than it has been in some time.

We have seen how tracks can completely change how cars perform this year already with Toro Rosso's fairy tail in the desert contrasted with a disappointing qualifying in China and Force India have finally found some performance from their car.

Who performs best when it counts, however, remains to be seen. A number of teams could be stamping their authority on the fight for fourth after the flag falls in China.

FERRARI FAVOURITISM?

While it may be clear who the number one and two drivers are within the team, there is no questioning that Kimi Raikkonen has stepped up his game in 2018 and has taken a liking to the new Ferrari.

Having almost claimed pole until the German's sublime final sector in qualifying, Kimi will have a point to prove to his team and should he make it into turn one ahead of the pole sitter, Ferrari will have a conundrum on their hands to go for the win with Raikkonen, or play the championship game and maximise points for Vettel as rival Hamilton seems to be struggling this weekend.