Ferrari seeking two important confirmations in China

Ferrari heads to Formula 1's landmark race in China aiming to validate the level of performance of its SF90 car as well as the reliability of its contender following the engine issue encountered by Charles Leclerc in Bahrain.

As the 1000th race of the F1 world championship since its inception in 1950, China will represent a significant milestone in the history of Grand Prix racing for which the Scuderia has written many great chapters.

However, beyond the landmark festivities, Ferrari will be focused on securing a strong result in Shanghai after its disappointing performance in Melbourne and the truncated result at Sakhir where Leclerc was robbed of his maiden F1 win.

"The third round of the season takes place at a track that is different in character to those in Melbourne and Bahrain," said Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.

"Here, we have a very long straight and corners that put an uncommon amount of load on the front end.

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"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.

"As usual, we want to do well and take on our competitors. It will be race number 1000 in the history of Formula 1, which is a further reason to try and excel."

Outshining its rivals in China will require a flawless execution from Ferrari, from the reliability of its SF90 to its drivers' performance and to the team's strategy decisions.

Vettel will be eager to silence his critics following the enforced error that spun him out of contention at Sakhir, but the German will also be focused on tyre management come race day.

"Looking after tyres is one of the key points in Shanghai, it’s the most important job to do on Sunday in order to be fast for the whole race," said the four-time world champion.

"In the past I’ve had some good races here with Ferrari, coming very close to winning. Maybe this time we’ll get that little bit of luck, so that we can really celebrate the thousandth Formula 1 race."

As for Leclerc, the 21-year-old has shrugged off his Bahrain setback but nevertheless heads into this weekend's race with a sense of redemption.

"I don’t know the Shanghai track that well, having only raced there once, last year," said the Monegasque.

"I have good memories of qualifying, less so of the race itself.

"But overall, I like the track a lot because there are many different types of corner that you don’t find elsewhere on the calendar, especially turn 1, and also 13 which leads onto the long straight.

"Usually, the Chinese race is good fun, because the weather can be unpredictable and rain can arrive when you least expect it.

"It’s the thousandth race in the history of Formula 1 and I hope the car will be as good as it was in Bahrain, so that I can continue to go for the results we deserve."

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