Following an eventful season opener in Australia last weekend, the FIA Formula 1 World Championship lands in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix, the first round to host an F1 Sprint weekend in 2025.
Coming off the back of an eventful Australian Grand Prix, Formula 1 action resumes this weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit, home to the 18th edition of the Chinese GP, also host to the first F1 Sprint of the new season, featuring a fully resurfaced track.
As a result, teams and drivers will have just one free practice session (60 minutes) on Friday to work on the best setup on a “green” surface, challenging by nature.
Therefore, time will be of the essence for the teams to assess everything that influences the car’s performance and collect data ahead of Sprint Qualifying.
The Formula One schedule before Sunday Grand Prix resumes on Saturday with the Sprint Race, featuring 19 laps or 60 minutes; three hours later, Qualifying takes place.
The Circuit
The track, spanning 5.451 km (3.387 miles), poses several challenges over 56 laps, boasting two long straights as two DRS zones.
However, the mix of slow to high-speed corners and hairpins, ranging from 90 to 270 degrees, particularly defy the drivers and the squads in their bid to find the right combination of aero downforce and top speed.
Born in Shanghai, Zhou Guanyu, who fulfills reserve driving for Scuderia Ferrari HP this season, shared his views on his home event.
“An interesting fact about the Shanghai International Circuit is that its layout is inspired by the Chinese character “Shang,” which means “above” or “to ascend,” he said.
Adding: “The track features a large number of esses combined with a mix of medium and fast corners. This combination creates a layout that allows for incredibly high-speed racing while still demanding technical precision from the drivers.
“It’s a circuit that truly challenges skill and strategy, making it an exciting venue for racing.”
Furthermore, due to the unique track design, the front tires tend to experience high levels of stress throughout the racing weekend.
Formula 1 official tire manufacturer, Pirelli, has brought the same trio of compounds as last year: C2 as Hard, C3 as Medium, and C4 as Soft.
In that regard, Pirelli remarks that all the compounds are different from last year. In particular, the C2 is softer and closer to the C3 than in the past.
McLaren Racing F1 arrives in China as the drivers’ and constructors’ leader, following Lando Norris’s victory in Australia, with teammate Oscar Piastri finishing ninth after a late-race mistake.
Four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen with Red Bull Racing stands second in the drivers’ championship, followed by George Russell with Mercedes.
Both drivers completed the podium in Melbourne, second and third, respectively.
