Guide

The Chinese Grand Prix is held at the Shanghai International Circuit outside China’s largest city. The inaugural event took place in 2004 after a rapid construction phase. It was designed by Hermann Tilke and is on three square kilometres of reclaimed marshland.

 

The 5.451km track is shaped like the Chinese character ’shang’ which stands for ‘high’ or ‘above’.It comprises seven left and seven right turns with several overtaking opportunities, including the multi-apex turn one, a 270 degree, right-handed corner combination that requires a lot of speed whilst entering but tightens up on itself towards the end.

 

The race is often punctuated by rainstorms or changeable conditions and generally produces some close, exciting races: the fact that no one driver has ever won more than one Chinese Grand Prix is telling.