The new Formula 1 season got off to an interesting start this past weekend as we got our first glimpse at the sport’s changes in real competition. Now, we head full speed into the second event of the year with the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix!
With drivers lining up on the grid in less than 24 hours at 3 a.m. EST on Sunday, March 15, we’re taking a look at the top F1 betting picks on DraftKings Sportsbook. Read on for the best top finish pick for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.
2026 Chinese Grand Prix top finish pick
This week’s Chinese Grand Prix is set to take place at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China. This track held its first Grand Prix in 2004 and has remained the venue for this event since its inception, minus a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The circuit is notorious for its 270-degree corner combination in Turns 1 and 2, measuring in at 5.451 km and running for 56 laps.
While Mercedes are rightfully earning many headlines after taking both of the top spots at last week’s Australian Grand Prix, there’s a driver from a different team who stands out from among the others on the grid for this one. Nobody knows this circuit better than Ferrari’s own Lewis Hamilton, who deserves a selection to record a top-2 finish once the dust settles.
Hamilton, a longtime veteran and still one of the biggest stars among the sport, is quite familiar with the Shanghai International Circuit. Only three Formula 1 drivers have ever won this event multiple times since its inception in 2004 — the Ferrari star is the winningest competitor in the history of the Chinese Grand Prix with a staggering six wins in 15 attempts here. He’s also tallied six pole positions at Shanghai as well.
While Hamilton hasn’t won the Chinese GP in either of the last two seasons since the event returned from a hiatus, he did set what would’ve been the all-time fastest lap in 2025 prior to a disqualification when his car’s rear skid thickness was determined to be below the minimum threshold. Yes, that may have played a role in the time he set on said lap, and he finished sixth in his first try at the event with Ferrari prior to the DQ. But there’s still no denying his track record at this circuit. After all, he won it as recently as in 2019 and took first in 2017, 2015 and 2014 as well. His two other wins came in 2011 and 2008 when he was still racing for McLaren, but he’s also finished third or better on three more occasions here in his career.
That familiarity with the circuit in Shanghai should play a key role if he’s to compete with the Mercedes drivers, whose cars should excel given many of the straights the track includes. However, Hamilton will start third on the grid and Ferrari is known for its fast starts. The F1 veteran looked quite good at the Australian GP last week with a fourth-place finish to begin his campaign, plus his car should be well-equipped to handle the intimidating turns in the early stages of this circuit. After failing to record a podium finish since joining Ferrari last year, Hamilton is positioned nicely to get into the top two and pay off as a betting pick at +185 odds to finish in such position.
