Preview: Alex shares his pre-Shanghai thoughts

Find out what Alex had to say ahead of the season’s first Sprint weekend

Published

12 MAR 2026

Est. reading time

2 min

Alex is all set for the second round of the season-opening double-header, having touched down in Shanghai for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.

The 29-year-old will be hoping to build upon a tricky opening weekend for the team in Australia as they continue to gather a better understanding of their current package.

That being said, Alex is eager to get back on track for the first Sprint round of the year.

"I'm looking forward to racing in Shanghai again this weekend – it's one of my favourite race cities on the calendar,” he said.

“It's the first Sprint race of the year, which will be a big challenge for us following Australia, and the track layout here is quite different from Albert Park."

The Shanghai International Circuit opens with the long, snail-shaped first two corners, which initially climb before diving back down into the left-hander of Turn 3.

A technical middle sector then makes way for a high-speed blast down the back straight, which measures over 1.2km in length.

Alex on track in China last year

Although the layout is a dramatic contrast to the unrelenting speeds of Albert Park last week, speaking at the press conference, Alex doesn’t expect it to deliver an immediate change in fortunes.

"I think we might be further away here, as this kind of track doesn't normally suit us," he said.

"If you look at last year, we were quite strong in Melbourne – that track normally goes well for us. But when I look at last year, we fell back in China.

"I think we still have similar characteristic issues as last year. This track is quite front-limited and exposes cars that have a bit of understeer, and I think we'll have that this weekend."

The Chinese Grand Prix weekend kicks off with Free Practice 1 on Friday at 11:30am China Standard Time, followed by Sprint Qualifying at 3:30pm.

Then it’s the Sprint race on Saturday at 11am, ahead of Qualifying at 3pm. Finally, the weekend’s main event gets underway on Sunday at 3pm.

We’ll be covering the action every step of the way, so make sure to follow along on our live blog via the AA23 website and app.

And don’t forget to claim Alex’s latest Fan Passport stamp before racing concludes in Shanghai. You can add this week’s Albono to your collection via the link below.

Enjoy the Chinese Grand Prix!

The 2026 China Albono is ready to collect!