Here are the stats you need to know ahead of Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix

The Formula One circus has arrived in the Far East as Shanghai plays host to the Chinese Grand Prix.

Fri, 13 Apr, 2018 - 10:52

The Formula One circus has arrived in the Far East as Shanghai plays host to the Chinese Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel leads Lewis Hamilton in the championship race after winning both grands prix of the new campaign.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at the key statistics and trivia ahead of the third round of the season.

* Vettel holds a 17-point lead over Hamilton after winning in Australia and Bahrain. Alain Prost was the last driver to take the chequered flag at the opening two grands prix and not go on to win the title back in 1982.
* No driver in the sport's history has been victorious in each of the opening three rounds and not won the championship.
* Vettel claimed his 49th career grand prix victory in Bahrain. Only Michael Schumacher (91), Hamilton (62) and Prost (51) have won more than half-a-century of F1 races.
* Hamilton may be playing catch-up in the championship race, but he has a good record in China, having won here on five occasions, twice for McLaren and three times for Mercedes.
* The Shanghai International Circuit is one of four tracks Hamilton has been a winner at five times; the others being Silverstone, the Hungaroring and the Circuit of the Americas. He has won the Canadian Grand Prix six times.
* Hamilton's Mercedes team have not lost a race in China since 2014, while they have been on pole position here for each of the last six years.
* Pole has proven to be decisive in the 14 races staged at Shanghai with nine wins coming from the front of the grid.
* Hamilton could set a new record this weekend if he finishes inside the top 10. He is currently tied with Kimi Raikkonen on a streak of 27 consecutive points finishes.
* McLaren have now gone 100 races without a victory which is comfortably the worst losing streak of the team's lengthy association with the sport. Jenson Button last triumphed for McLaren at the 2012 season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

Circuit length: 5.451 kilometres/3.681 miles

Laps: 56

Race distance: 305.066km/189.559 miles

Lap record: One minute 32.238 seconds (Michael Schumacher, 2004)

2017 pole position: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1min 31.678secs

2017 winner: Lewis Hamilton

2017 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton 1:35.378

Number of corners: 16 (7 left/9 right)

Tyre compounds to be used: medium/soft/ultrasoft

Bumpiness: low

Overtaking chance: Medium (turns 1, 6, 13 & 14)

Engine severity: high