Chinese GP: What you need to know

It is a landmark weekend in Formula 1 as the 1000th championship race takes place at the Chinese GP, and it should be a thriller if recent history is anything to go by.

Two rounds into F1 2019 and it is two wins and two one-twos for Mercedes so far, something few would have predicted with confidence after pre-season testing. But the standings do not tell the full story and Ferrari, who dominated Bahrain, will be desperate to get a win on the board and also allay fears over their reliability after Charles Leclerc was robbed of victory in the desert.

The Scuderia arguably arrive as favourites given the straight-line speed they showed in Bahrain, with Mercedes fearing the two red cars could "disappear" down the road.

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If you loved the wheel-to-wheel drama last time out, expect more of the same on Sunday with Shanghai one of the best circuits on the calendar for overtaking. Indeed 2016 had a whopping 161 overtakes during a chaotic race while last year's grand prix incorporated Daniel Ricciardo's charge from sixth to first in the space of 10 laps.

There are opportunities to complete a pass at numerous points round the track, so the 1000th championship race is sure to be worth getting up early for.

What are the teams and drivers saying?

Toto Wolff, Mercedes: "The truth is that we weren't as quick as our direct competitors throughout qualifying and the race in Bahrain. The Ferrari was considerably faster on the straights and this added up to several 10ths around one lap.The challenge we are facing doesn't daunt us - it's uplifting. We will keep pushing to extract the maximum performance from our package to deliver the best race we can."

Mattia Binotto, Ferrari: "For our part, we want to verify that the SF90 is also competitive on this type of track and ensure that the reliability problems we had in Bahrain are not repeated. It will be race number 1000 in the history of Formula 1, which is a further reason to try and excel."

Max Verstappen, Red Bull: "The Chinese Grand Prix is always a good one for racing because the track gives you a lot of opportunities for overtaking, so I'm looking forward to hopefully having an exciting race there. We scored some good points and maximised the result in Bahrain but we still have a lot of things to learn about the car. We've been busy back at the factory and hopefully we can close the gap in China."

Cyril Abiteboul, Renault: "The start of the 2019 season has fallen short of our high expectations. Our overall competitiveness is good enough for our drivers to be racing in the top 10 and closer to the top teams than last year, but we have suffered from reliability issues. We move onto China with caution, but also with a resolution to really get the season going."

What's coming up on Sky F1 and when's the race?

To commemorate F1's landmark grand prix, Sky Sports F1 has produced a special feature on the first-ever championship race in 1950 at Silverstone, won by Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo.

Plus, Martin Brundle meets up with Bernie Ecclestone to discuss F1's journey to race number 1000, while he also sits down with Christian Horner to mark the 10-year anniversary of Red Bull's maiden win in China.

When's the Chinese GP on Sky?

When and how to watch our exclusively live coverage of the Chinese GP this weekend

Why is China so exciting?

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Quickfire stats

• Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver at the Chinese GP with five wins.
• Mercedes have five victories at the Shanghai International Circuit, and have won four of the last five Chinese GPs.
• The record for most overtakes in a race happened in China in 2016 - 161 passes in total.
• The 16th edition of the Chinese GP represents F1's 1000th world championship race - the first Chinese GP in 2004 was race number 729.
• This year's race marks 10 years since Red Bull's first grand prix victory - they have gone on to win 59 grands prix, four drivers and constructors' world championship doubles and were victorious in Shanghai last year.
• Ultimate lap record: 1:31.095 - Sebastian Vettel, Q3, 2018
• Race lap record: 1:32.238 - Michael Schumacher, 2004

Essential reading

F1 reaches 1000: The defining stats
Sky Sports F1 brings you the ultimate stats breakdown as Formula 1 reaches a milestone weekend.

Merc or Ferrari: Who's really ahead?
Sky Sports F1 expert Mark Hughes takes a closer look at the times from the opening two grands prix to see which team really holds the advantage at the front in F1 2019.

Mercedes fear Ferrari's pace
Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas fear Mercedes will watch Ferrari "disappear" at the Chinese GP given the straight-line speed the Scuderia have shown.

F1 1000: Rosberg revisits Hamilton duel
Sky F1's Nico Rosberg returns to the Bahrain circuit where he and Lewis Hamilton faced off in the 'Duel in the Desert' of 2014, one of the greatest battles of all time.

Watch the Chinese GP, F1's 1000th race, live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend. Sky Sports is the home of live and exclusive F1. Find out more here to watch the 2019 season live