After a four-year break, Formula 1 returns to Shanghai, showcasing the season’s first Sprint and evolved race dynamics.
For the first time since 2019, F1 returns to Shanghai this weekend for the Chinese Grand Prix. It also marks the first Sprint weekend of the season, with the second following immediately afterward in Miami.
This year, the Sprint format has evolved, with Sprint qualifying taking place on Friday afternoon, right after FP1. On Saturday, the Sprint will kick off the action, before drivers engage in qualifying for the race later that afternoon. It is hoped that this will not encourage too much caution during the Sprint, with qualifying just three hours later.
Parc Fermé rules are also changing. Teams will no longer be able to make changes between Sprint qualifying and the Sprint itself on Friday evening, but they will have the freedom to work on the cars between the Sprint and qualifying, with Parc Fermé rules being lifted. The rules will then be reinstated between qualifying and the race.
The Track Layout
Turn 1 – The first turn leads directly into the next. It can be seen as a single curve with increasing angle where the load on the front tires is enormous. Understeer is very present, and this will put the tires through a rigorous test. The driver will brake for nearly three seconds in this sequence, but bumps on the track can destabilize the car, especially on entry.
Turn 7 – This fast curve is tackled in either seventh or eighth gear. As the driver progressively accelerates, forces approach 4 g. High-speed responsive steering is crucial here.
Turn 9 – Braking for turn nine is tricky as the transition from fast curves to strong deceleration is abrupt. The exit is just as crucial as it serves as a real launch pad for turn 10 and the ensuing straight.
Turn 11 – Mirroring the first turn, the sequence stretching from turns 11 to 13 involves two seconds of braking while also offering a new opportunity to recharge the battery.
Turn 13 – Although challenging due to its banking, a good exit from turn 13 is crucial before the long back straight (1.3 km). The engine will reach its maximum regime for 20 seconds at full load, which is 20% of the lap.
Turn 14 – The hairpin at the end of the straight forces drivers to go from over 320 km/h to just 60 km/h. The energy dissipated by the brakes is then immense. While this is one of the few heavy braking points here, other areas are well distributed: the brakes have enough time to cool, and the circuit is not very demanding in this area.
Forces at Play
One might be tempted to default to Max Verstappen and Red Bull as favorites on a circuit where recent performance gauges of the cars are absent. However, the Sprint format, the complexity of recently resurfaced asphalt, and the lack of team data could reshuffle the hierarchy.
Indeed, Red Bull has experienced some of its more challenging weekends during Sprint events in recent years. Furthermore, the lack of data on the Shanghai circuit’s track surface will complicate tire management, potentially causing graining issues that Red Bull has previously encountered in Australia.
Ferrari may benefit from a very wide operating window for its tires, while the numerous slow corners of the Chinese track might not suit McLaren and its MCL38.
In the midfield, teams might capitalize on a slightly altered hierarchy to score unexpected points, either during the Sprint or the race. In such cases, every point earned will be crucial.
Schedule for the Chinese Grand Prix
For the third consecutive race, the Chinese Grand Prix schedule will require an early start! Though not as early as for Australia and Japan, with FP1 at 5:30 AM on Friday, and Sprint Qualifying at 9:30 AM. The Sprint will be very early, at 5:00 AM, as it opens the second day before qualifying for the race. The race will be held a bit less early than the previous two, at 9:00 AM.
- Friday, April 19
5:30-6:30 AM: Free Practice 1
9:30-10:14 AM: Sprint Qualifying
- Saturday, April 20
5:00-6:00 AM: Sprint
9:00-10:00 AM: Qualifications
- Sunday, April 21
9:00-11:00 AM: Race
Complete Record of the Chinese Grand Prix:
| Year | Track | Winner | Team | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Shanghai | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Mercedes |
| 2018 | Shanghai | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | Renault |
| 2017 | Shanghai | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Mercedes |
| 2016 | Shanghai | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | Mercedes |
| 2015 | Shanghai | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Mercedes |
| 2014 | Shanghai | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Mercedes |
| 2013 | Shanghai | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | Ferrari |
| 2012 | Shanghai | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | Mercedes |
| 2011 | Shanghai | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | Mercedes |
| 2010 | Shanghai | Jenson Button | McLaren | Mercedes |
| 2009 | Shanghai | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | Renault |
| 2008 | Shanghai | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | Mercedes |
| 2007 | Shanghai | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | Ferrari |
| 2006 | Shanghai | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | Ferrari |
| 2005 | Shanghai | Fernando Alonso | Renault | Renault |
| 2004 | Shanghai | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | Ferrari |
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