Four F1 teams' cars missing ahead of Chinese Grand Prix this weekend - what has happened?

Following last weekend’s chaotic race around Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, there has been a quick turnaround for teams to dash over to the Shanghai Audi International Circuit for this weekend’s Grand Prix.

The season opener descended into carnage thanks to heavy rain, which saw rookies and veterans alike crash out as Lando Norris guided his McLaren to victory. Reigning champion Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, with Mercedes driver George Russell finishing third.

According to journalist Kym Illman, four teams have turned up in China to find that their cars have not made the journey from Australia. The likes of McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes and Aston Martin are reportedly all affected.

There seem to have been disruptions to freight transport out of Melbourne, meaning F1 cars are missing from the paddock - with just two days until free practice begins on Friday, March 21.

Posting on YouTube, Illman said: “I think many of the other teams may also be impacted by this. There is doubt that some of the F1 teams will have their cars ready for free practice on Friday. It’s going to be very tight as to whether or not teams will have their cars.

“The gear is normally packed up at the track on a Sunday night and then air freighted to the next destination, that is Shanghai. Technical issues have ended up causing these big delays; normally, the freight would arrive maybe late on a Monday night but certainly on Tuesday morning - that gives teams three or four days to have their cars ready for free practice.

“Teams were told it [their cars] won’t arrive until 4-5pm today (March 19). Effectively, they’ve had some 30+ hours wiped out of their preparation time. A lot of the crew are sitting around in hotels just enjoying a day off because there’s no point going to the track if you haven’t got the car.

“There is no guarantee that gear will be there this afternoon.”

This weekend’s Grand Prix in China will also feature a sprint race, meaning that qualifying will actually begin on Friday rather than Saturday. This means the race is already on just to get the cars to the track on time.