Chinese Grand Prix: Will Mercedes crack under the pressure?

The Chinese Grand Prix arrives with the tectonic plates of Formula 1 shifting like they have not shifted in some time. Ferrari have their boot on Mercedes' throats, and things could become truly seismic if the Silver Arrows' dominance of this race falls.

FORM GUIDE

Wins: Hamilton (5), Alonso (2), Vettel (1), Raikkonen (1)
Podiums: Hamilton (8), Raikkonen (5), Vettel (5), Alonso (5), Verstappen (1)
Pole positions: Hamilton (6), Vettel (3), Alonso (2)
Fastest laps: Hamilton (4), Vettel (1), Alonso (1), Raikkonen (1), Hulkenberg (1)

CIRCUIT DEBRIEF

• Pirelli are bringing medium, soft and ultrasoft - skipping supersoft.
• This may cause another battle of strategy, as we saw in Bahrain.
• One of the longest straights on the calendar (1,170m) will test the lower-powered engines.
• Reliability is curiously high in China. The last three races have featured 10 retirements between them.
• Weather is often unpredictable and can play a role.

WHO'S IN CONTENTION?

It may have been said a few times already this year, but Mercedes really ought to be strong in Shanghai. Their record in the hybrid era is flawless, with four wins from pole since 2014 - three of which executed by Lewis Hamilton.

The reigning champion's five wins in Shanghai is the best record by far and he only enjoys a better record at Canada, where he has won six times.

Sebastian Vettel took to the podium in 2015 and 2017 for Ferrari, with Kimi Raikkonen doing so in 2016, but this track may give us even more of a clue as to whether they have caught up the Silver Arrows in the power stakes.

With its enormous near-mile-long back straight, the Shanghai International Circuit has played perfectly into Mercedes' hands in recent years, but they are firmly on the back foot after being outclassed in Bahrain.

Valtteri Bottas will be looking to make amends in China after an amateurish spin behind the Safety Car in last year's race denied Mercedes what ought to have been a heftier points haul.

Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo surely can't do any worse than their double DNF inside six laps at Sakhir, but Red Bull's wait for a first win of 2018 is likely to stretch on, although Verstappen fans can perhaps look forward to another barn-stormer after his epic first lap last year which featured no fewer than nine overtakes from 16th place.

UNDER PRESSURE

Mercedes have never been under quite so much pressure in the hybrid era as they are right now, with Vettel already opening up a 17-point lead over Hamilton in the standings.

Though their record at this track is flawless, Pirelli's move to introduce a jump in tyre compounds could play into the hands of Vettel, who has proven himself as the great rubber-whisperer on the grid.

Extensive testing helped him gain a better understanding of the tyres in the early stages of last season and his ability to coax 39 laps out of soft tyres in Sakhir was sensational.

'Party mode', turning up the wick, whatever you want to call it, Mercedes will hope that they retain a semblance of dominance in power, otherwise we could well see the balance of power shift to the red cars definitively.

"The competition is extremely close in 2018 and Melbourne was already a strong reminder that there is absolutely no margin for imperfections or mistakes in this year's title fight. While we saw a completely different race in Bahrain and lost for different reasons, the message stayed the same: In order to win this year, we need to bring our A game."

TWO STEPS FORWARD...

The performance of Pierre Gasly in Bahrain, taking fourth place, was nothing short of supreme.

With Red Bull once again talking up the form showed by sister team Toro Rosso, this race could be an indicator on the future of the Milton Keynes squad.

Fed up with Renault, a switch to Honda could well be on the cards, although they may be put off if the Japanese power unit is eaten up on the long straight here, as it has been in recent years.

Gasly cut a positive figure, however, when asked about a potential power deficit in Thursday's press conference.

"I think we can still expect to be competitive," he said. "We are going to be in the fight for the midfield and hopefully on top of it."