Only a cruel engine failure prevented Charles Leclerc from securing his first victory since joining Ferrari, as the Monegasque driver was forced to settle for a place on the bottom of the podium in Bahrain.
That allowed Mercedes to record a second successive one-two, with Lewis Hamilton picking up his first win of the season after Valtteri Bottas triumphed in Australia.
But 21-year-old Leclerc will be keen to demonstrate his race pace in the 1000th Grand Prix as he looks like a genuine title contender for the Scuderia.
For Sebastian Vettel, there are creeping doubts that the German may not be as strong as last season and the 31-year-old has something to prove at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, where he has won just once before.
Daniel Ricciardo won this race last year for Red Bull but the Australian is finding life tough at Renault after back-to-back retirements.
The midfield battle is well and truly under way after McLaren's Lando Norris finished in sixth, while Kimi Raikkonen scored points again as Alfa Romeo continued their impressive start to the campaign.
Scroll down for our comprehensive Chinese Grand Prix preview...
Date and UK start time
Those hoping to catch the first session of the Chinese Grand Prix race weekend will need to set an early alarm. It begins on Friday, April 12 with the first free practice session starting at 10am on track (3am GMT).
The second practice session will take place at 2pm (7am GMT) on the same day, before the third and final practice session, which is scheduled for 11am (4am GMT) on Saturday, March 30.
Qualifying is scheduled to begin at 2pm local time on Saturday (7am GMT), with the race on Sunday, March 31 scheduled for a 2.10pm (7.10am) start.
TV channel and live stream
UK viewers will no longer have the luxury of being able to choose between the two rights holders for the race in China.
Sky Sports subscribers will be able to tune in for every live race in the 2019 season, but the same does not apply to terrestrial viewers.
Channel 4 recently downgraded their rights package which means they can only show highlights of qualifying sessions and races, with only the British Grand Prix scheduled for live coverage in the 2019 season.
Sky Sports subscribers can watch the entire race weekend live on the Sky Sports F1 channel (channel 408). If you don’t have Sky Sports, you can watch with a NOW TV Sky Sports Pass, which gives you exactly the same coverage without having to sign up to a contract.
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
Race winner
- Sebastian Vettel: 7/4
- Charles Leclerc: 15/8
- Lewis Hamilton: 9/4
- Valtteri Bottas: 10/1
- Max Verstappen: 16/1
Click here to find the latest race odds and place a bet. Odds correct on 04/04/2019
Tickets
Unfortunately, those looking to purchase tickets through Formula One's official ticketing website will have to look elsewhere as all the tickets are sold out.
At the time of writing, F1 fans can still secure themselves a weekend Paddock Club pass for the entire weekend. However, these are the top of the line tickets which guarantee access to all areas and therefore will set you back a cool £3,860.
Click the link here to access Formula One's official ticket website.
Prediction
Race winner: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
It's impressive how the youngster has settled so quickly into life at Ferrari considering his tender age and the fact it's only his second season in the sport. But the manner in which he dominated the whole race weekend in Bahrain would have certainly wowed the bosses at Maranello while his team-mate Sebastian Vettel continues to struggle for consistent pace.
For now, the Scuderia may be best placed in backing the 21-year-old while he's quickest and with the fastest car in a straight line, they have to get their strategy bang on in Shanghai. After the car let Leclerc down just 10 laps from victory in Sakhir, there's no reason why Ferrari should deny their prodigy a maiden win at the third attempt.
