F1 Chinese GP as it happened

Further back, stewards are looking into a clash between - gulp! - both Cadillac drivers at the start of the race.

Bottas is running 15th, Perez in 17th

Russell's overtake boost takes him rapidly through on Hamilton as they pass the start-finish line - Mercedes back into 1-2

Behind the top four, Alpine sits pretty in fifth and sixth - Gasly ahead of Colapinto, the Argentina getting a fantastic start from 12th on the grid. He is on hard tyres too.

Lawson, Ocon and Lindblad now have Verstappen looming behind them

Antonelli holds the lead on the run to Turn 1 into lap three as Russell powers past Leclerc.,

Antonelli, Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc is your top four

Verstappen back into the top ten

Antonelli has regrouped and is now pressuring Hamilton in the lead

The Italian sweeps through down the back straight

Hadjar is into the pits after his skirmish with Bearman, which has also dropped the Haas down to 13th.

Terrible start for Verstappen again, he is running 12th

Hamilton leads at the end of lap one, from Antonelli, Leclerc, Russell, Gasly, Colapinto, Lawson, Lindblad, Ocon and Sainz

Alex Albon did not make the start.

Hadjar is facing the wrong way at Turn 12 after a scuffle with Bearman 

Neither McLaren made it down the pit lane into this race, nor did Bortoleto

Hamilton gets a clean run to Turn 1 as Antonelli defends from Russell off the line.

Leclerc tries to slip up the inside of Antonelli through Turn 3, but he can't make space

Sounds like a different issue for Piastri than Norris, but no info from McLaren yet.

The remaining cars are on their way for the formation lap.... 59 laps incoming

Sounds like a similar issue for Piastri that team-mate Norris has been battling this morning.

Double whammy for McLaren - both cars off the grid just moments before this race gets underway.

Leaves a big old gap on row three...

Piastri is not the only one, Bortoleto is also being wheeled off the grid.

At least four cars won't get off the grid with Norris, Piastri, Bortoleto and Albon not taking their starting position

Bit of pressure on Antonelli coming into this one - he has made poor starts on both occasions this year and been forced to fight his way back to the sharp end.

Because of that, if he does get away well this time, he'll be mired in the battle at the front for the first time in these new cars - and we have all seen how hectic that can be!

More pre-race woe for McLaren after Piastri failed to make the start of the Australian GP when he spun and punched the wall in Albert Park.

There is zero movement around Norris' empty grid slot and it's not clear if he will make it out at all.

While this is good news for Mercedes in a racing context, if it's another power unit-related issue then it will give them something to think about coming into this event.

Our man on the ground, Adam Cooper, has sent this picture from the grid. 

Norris, who had been due to start from sixth place, is set to start from the pit-lane at best after failing to make it on the grid for the sighting lap. 

McLaren is tight-lipped as to why or what happens next... a crucial 20 minutes for McLaren

Mercedes head into the race as comfortable favourites having broadly dominated proceedings in Australia and in China thus far.

However, Ferrari has shown on both occasions that it has the performance to keep Mercedes honest in a straight battle, if not in qualifying or in clear air.

Both Hamilton and Leclerc are better placed on the grid and - with their seemingly superior start procedures - are expected to take up the baton early on.

Also, Mercedes might feel a little vulnerable following a litany of technical issues that impacted Russell in qualifying. Though he was able to get back out and rescue a front row start, he won't have that kind of luxury in the race if gremlins return.