After five long years, Formula 1 returns to China for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The drivers will therefore rediscover the Shanghai International Circuit, with the added complication of having to tackle the first Sprint of the season. Engineers and drivers will therefore have to reacquaint themselves with the far from straightforward Asian track with just a single one hour free practice session on Friday at 11.30 local (05.30 CET) followed by Sprint Shootout at 15.30 (09.30 CET). Saturday's track action begins with the Sprint at 11.00 (05.00 CET), with qualifying at 15.00 (09.00 CET) while the Grand Prix starts at the same time on Sunday.
Every edition of the Chinese Grand Prix has been held at the Shanghai International Circuit. 5.451 kilometres in length, the layout takes its inspiration from the Chinese Shang character and features a mix of high speed corners and right angle turns, as well as some tight hairpins that require the driver to brake heavily and almost come to a complete stop. The hardest compromise is in finding the right balance between aerodynamic downforce and top speed, while tyre wear is a key factor. Among the standout corners, the first one is a long righthander, which takes the drivers through 270 degrees, before almost turning back on itself with a wide left hand hairpin. Sector 2 features medium speed corners, while the third is made up mainly of a 1.4 kilometre long straight where DRS is available, sandwiched between two slow hairpins. The other DRS zone is on the start-finish straight. Also worth mentioning is the final corner, which goes through almost 90 degrees and is slightly banked. A perfect exit is required to ensure plenty of speed to avoid being attacked going into turn 1.
The last time Formula 1 raced in Shanghai was several seasons ago, prior to the current generation of ground-effect cars, so teams have no recent data to work with. It means that work back in the factory and in the simulator takes on even more importance than usual when preparing for this event. Charles and Carlos have worked hard with the team over the past few weeks and now it's time to put their homework to the test.
Fred Vasseur, Team Principal: We return to Shanghai after a break of several years and that will undoubtedly make for a very challenging weekend for everyone. We will have to deal with a combination of several factors as it's the first time the current generation of cars will race at this circuit, but we will only have one free practice session before battling for grid positions for the Sprint. Another major question mark is linked to the condition of the track surface, which could have become bumpier since when we were last there. As always with this weekend format, preparation back in the factory plays a vital role and in our case that will also involve improving the way we manage to preparation lap in qualifying, an area where we have been less than perfect recently. With Carlos and Charles, our aim is to get all the potential out of the car and to bring home a solid result, as well as putting our competitors under pressure.
Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix
GP contested: 16
Debut: 2004 (R. Barrichello 1st; M. Schumacher 12th)
Wins: 4 (25.00%)
Pole positions: 2 (12.50%)
Fastest laps: 2 (12.50%)
Podiums: 13 (27.08%)
Three Questions to Diego Ioverno, Sprting Director & Head of Vehicle Operations
China sees the debut of the new Sprint format. How does that change the weekend and the way the team tackles it?
DI: The main change from last year is in the order of the sessions. It's been done to be more linear and understandable for the spectators. There's just one free practice session followed by the Sprint portion of the weekend, with Sprint Shootout on Friday afternoon and the Sprint Race on Saturday morning. Then from Saturday afternoon, the format reverts to normal with qualifying, followed by the race the next day. The change to the order of the sessions also means that parc fermé conditions are applied in two separate blocks (SS + SR and Q + R) thus allowing teams to repair the cars and modify them if necessary. Obviously, one has to keep in mind that every action must be clearly thought out, given that at the start of the following session, we enter a parc fermé regime again. Another aspect of the Sprint weekend is that in the event that the chassis is damaged or has a serious reliability problem, one can now request to replace it between the Sprint Race and qualifying, even though these sessions are on the same day. However, in order to do this, one has to be ready for it in terms of the team's preparedness and be sure to have the necessary components.
Formula 1 returns to Shanghai after a five year break and the second generation of ground effect cars will be racing here for the first time. How difficult will it be getting to grips with a circuit again, when there is only one free practice session?
DI: Having a Sprint weekend in Shanghai is definitely challenging for everyone, after five years away and with completely different cars in terms of their performance and how they are operated. The drivers, teams, the FIA and the organisers will have just one session to confirm that everything is ready and to identify unexpected differences and take appropriate action for the following session, which is Sprint Shootout, which will already be competitive. Prior preparation and the ability to react quickly will be vital.
What are the characteristics of this track and which aspects stand out the most?
DI: It's very difficult to predict how the new cars will work on this track and how the drivers will deal with the Shanghai circuit. It's a very demanding track with different technical challenges. The first sector with the sequence through turns 1,2 and 3 was extremely challenging with the previous generation of cars and one can assume it will be even more so with the current ones. It will also be very important to check the condition of the track surface and any dips or bumps, as these are definitely critical when running cars with ground effect.
Facts & Figures
6. The furthest back position on the grid from which the Chinese Grand Prix has been won. It happened twice: the first time it was down to Michael Schumacher and the Ferrari 248 F1 in 2006, when the German took his very last Formula 1 win. The second driver to win from sixth on the grid was Daniel Ricciardo in 2018 in the Red Bull.
14. The number of drivers taking part in this year's Chinese Grand Prix who were also on the grid for the last one back in 2019. Making their Shanghai debuts are Guanyu Zhou, the first Chinese driver to race at home, Oscar Piastri, Yuki Tsunoda and Logan Sargeant. Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso did not take part in 2019, but have raced here in previous years. Just five drivers are with the same teams as five years ago: Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, Max Verstappen at Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, Lando Norris at McLaren and Kevin Magnussen at Haas.
15. The average number of hours per day that a Giant Panda spends eating. This symbol of China can weigh between 70 and 120 kg, and measures between 120 and 190 centimetres in height. In terms of size therefore it is essentially a bear, also having similar paws. However, when it comes to diet, it differs considerably from bears commonly found in America and Europe, being predominantly herbivorous. The other major difference is that the Panda does not hibernate, not needing to because of the more temperate climate in its habitat.
16. The number of districts in the city of Shanghai, which has a population of 25 million. The Shanghai International Circuit is located in the Jiading district, which has a population of 2 million. Historically, Jiading was a separate municipality until it came under Shanghai jurisdiction in 1958.
717. The number of overtaking moves totalled over the 16 Chinese Grand Prix held to date, all of them at the Shanghai International Circuit. 2016 saw the most passing moves with no fewer than 128, while the 2008 edition had the least, when there were only 9 passes, although the average number of overtakes in the race is 45.
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