F1 2016: six things you need to know about the Chinese GP

After being labelled “windbags” by Bernie Ecclestone and advised to “shut up” by 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, F1’s drivers caused a storm this week by being pictured together after a meal at a restaurant in China.

18 members of the current grid were present, with many of them posting the picture online along with the hashtag #RacingUnited in what some will view as a display of solidarity following questions about the influence they have in the sport.

Valtteri Bottas played down the meal yesterday saying it was “just a dinner”, although Nico Rosberg couldn’t resist referencing Ecclestone’s “windbags” jibe on Twitter.

The drivers have been increasingly vocal about the current state of affairs in F1 in recent weeks, with the GPDA calling the decision making process “obsolete” amid the qualifying format turmoil last month.

The dinner wasn’t all about politics though. Lewis Hamilton said they ended up sharing the bill 18 ways despite offering to pay for it all himself.

“We all got a receipt, 18 receipts, 18 credit cards,” said the world champions. “It was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.”

The Spaniard missed the last grand prix in Bahrain after doctors forbade him from racing on medical grounds a fortnight ago, but a month on from the accident that left him with rib fractures, Alonso at last has been given the green light to resume his season.

It means that reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne – who scored McLaren’s first point of the season as stand-in the last race – can now stand down.

In a statement the FIA confirmed that the 34-year-old had been deemed fit to race, but also said: “In case of any abnormal symptoms the driver has been informed that he must stop his car immediately.”

Alonso himself has admitted that his injuries are not yet fully healed, but insisted that: “The pain is manageable and there is no other risk to be in the car.”

The world champion would have been hoping to get his season back on track after losing out to teammate Nico Rosberg in the first two races of the year, but he faces an uphill battle once again after landing a five-place grid penalty for this weekend’s race.

Hamilton’s gearbox suffered damage in Bahrain, and Mercedes have decided to bite the bullet and make the change now rather than risk a retirement.

F1’s rules state that gearboxes must complete at least six consecutive races before being replaced.

Hamilton conceded that it would likely make it “an easy weekend for Nico”, but insisted that he would be “pushing as hard as I can.”

Rosberg would be ill-advised to relax, though: Ferrari look closer in terms of pace this week, as shown by Kimi Raikkonen’s topping of the second practice session earlier today. Interesting.

We’re not making it up: F1’s bosses were forced to revert to the old qualifying system after all 11 teams signed a letter demanding an end to the hugely unpopular ‘elimination’ format.

The teams had agreed to ditch the system after its first outing in Australia last month, but to many fans’ dismay it remained in place in Bahrain as FIA President Jean Todt attempted to force teams into a compromise.

Without unanimous agreement, the move failed.

The old format might not last for the entirety of 2016 though: the teams have said they will consider trial-runs of new formats if the drivers and constructors championships are decided before the end of the season.

So be prepared for some experimentation if Mercedes have wrapped things up by November...

The boss of Haas F1 has responded to criticism of his team’s approach to the sport, saying that “there are a lot of whiners in F1”.

The American team have surprised many by finishing sixth and then fifth in their first ever grands prix, and are now targeting top-ten finishes for the rest of the season.

The newcomers have a close technical partnership with Ferrari, allowing them to buy as many of the Italian team’s parts as is permitted within the regulations.

At the end of last month, Williams’ technical chief Pat Symonds said that closer relationships between teams had “eroded” the concept of having constructors in Formula 1.

But according to Gene Haas, the grid’s reliance on Mercedes and Ferrari engines this year makes criticism of their setup nothing more than “sour grapes”.

Both sides appear to have valid points...

In an interview with BBC Sport, the Dutchman has revealed he doesn’t own a pair of clogs, prefers V10s to V8s and that his favourite vegetable is – despite its inherent awfulness – broccoli.

And even though he is a teenager, someone taking “a long time waking up” is the thing that annoys him most.

Clearly his talents know no bounds.

Toro Rosso are thought to have one of the fastest midfield cars on the grid this year, but they’ve failed to convert that pace into points so far and as such lie sixth in the constructors standings behind rookies Haas F1.

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