China F1 Grand Prix 2015: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More

Downtown Shanghai will play host to the third race of the 2015 Formula One season on Sunday, where Lewis Hamilton is hoping to become the first driver to win successive Chinese Grand Prix titles and remain top of the standings.

The reigning Formula One champion claimed the third Chinese Grand Prix triumph of his career in 2014 to become the most decorated driver in the race's history.

However, with the in-form Mercedes team painting a target on their back, their peers are more motivated than ever to reverse the current trend and prevent Hamilton from making history.

The Shanghai International Circuit is sure to see fireworks on Sunday, with all the necessary viewing information and a preview for this weekend's race detailed ahead.

Date: Sunday, April 12

Time: 7 a.m. BST/2 a.m. ET/2 p.m. Local

TV Info: Sky Sports F1 (UK), NBCSN (US)

Team	Driver 1	Driver 2	Reserve
Mercedes	Lewis Hamilton	Nico Rosberg
Red Bull	Daniel Ricciardo	Daniil Kvyat
Ferrari	Sebastian Vettel	Kimi Raikkonen
Lotus	Pastor Maldonado	Romain Grosjean	Jolyon Palmer
McLaren	Fernando Alonso	Jenson Button
Force India	Nico Hulkenberg	Sergio Perez
Sauber	Marcus Ericsson	Felipe Nasr	Raffaelle Marciello
Toro Rosso	Max Verstappen	Carlos Sainz Jr
Williams	Valtteri Bottas	Felipe Massa
Marussia	Will Stevens	Roberto Merhi

Ferrari Look to Emerge in Two-Horse Race

While it may not be ideal in terms of competition across the field, the 2015 Formula One season has thus far been about two teams in particular—Ferrari and Mercedes.

Victory for Sebastian Vettel at last month's Malaysian Grand Prix gave Ferrari their first win since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, building on a fine pre-season to show they most certainly are a power to watch out for once again.

Andy Wong/Associated Press

Kimi Raikkonen still has a task in closing the gap and is yet to claim a podium finish this season, but Vettel will assuredly be out to rain on Hamilton's parade in the Chinese Grand Prix.

Mercedes' golden boy knows as much, too, highlighting the threat his German opponent will pose in Shanghai after Hamilton topped the times in the second free practice session, per the official Formula One website:

"It was quite close between us and Ferrari. They look just as fast as they were last time out and Nico (Rosberg, Mercedes team-mate) was quick as well, so we definitely have a race on. But I feel like I've got some improvements to make and I think we've got the pace to stay ahead."

As things stand, Vettel is just three points behind standings leader Hamilton, whose team-mate Rosberg is 10 points off the summit. After that, there's a steep drop-off to Felipe Massa in fourth, 23 points off Hamilton.

The weather in Shanghai tends to have an air of unpredictability about it. Sky Sports reported the white-marked medium tyres and yellow-banded softs will be put to use in China. A large track means there will be opportunities for overtaking, but Hamilton is looking to defend his perch under mounting pressure.

Lotus Looking to Reverse Their Fortunes

There were some signs of promise for Lotus coming into the 2015 campaign, and indeed their pre-season testing suggested the manufacturer could be ready to cause a disturbance among the hierarchy.

Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

However, with Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean yet to muster even a single point between them, a massive turnaround is needed in Shanghai if anything is to be made of this season.

After changing loyalties to a Mercedes engine at the end of last year, the E23 certainly looks a superior machine to its predecessor, but three retirements in the first two races of 2015 shows Lotus haven't had a lot of luck.

Reserve driver Jolyon Palmer got his first taste of Formula One action on Friday, but he took an early spin in free practice, per the official Formula One Twitter account:

As long as they can avoid collisions and keep their cars on the track, both Maldonado and Grosjean have the ability to make a dent on Sunday, but therein lies their issue, it seems.

The E23's speed and power is up there with the upper crust of Formula One, but the question is whether or not Shanghai can provide the team the break they've been seeking to get their season off the mark.