The Shanghai International Circuit facility was constructed to host China’s first Formula 1 race in 2004. Built at a cost of £132m ($240m), the circuit is dominated by its vast main grandstand and pit complex.
The circuit layout, which roughly mirrors the Chinese character Shang, is fairly typical of modern venues. It features medium to slow speed corners and a straight where the drivers are flat out for almost 1.4 kilometres.A distinctive feature of the track is the long right-hander which opens the lap, through which the drivers turn over 270 degrees before switching back.
The race originally appeared at the end of the year. It held the final round of the world championship once, in 2005, a race which saw Renault clinch the constructors’ championship.
In 2009 it moved to an earlier slot in the season and has since been part of the opening series of flyaway races. The Covid-19 pandemic led the race to be cancelled from 2020 to 2023.
As the circuit was built in an industrial complex outside Shanghai it is often affected by pollution from nearby factories. The weather can be variable and it is not uncommon for races to be affected by rain.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Shanghai International Circuit data
| Lap data | |
| Lap length | 5.451km (3.387 miles) |
| Race laps | 56 |
| Race distance | 305.066km (189.559 miles) |
| Pole position | Left-hand side of the track |
| Lap record* | 1’32.238 (Michael Schumacher, 2004) |
| Fastest lap | 1’31.095 (Sebastian Vettel, 2018, qualifying three) |
| Maximum speed | 348kph (216.237 mph) |
| DRS zone one | Detection: Turn 12 Activation: 450 metres after turn 13 |
| DRS zone two | Detection: 35 metres before turn 16 Activation: 98 metres after turn 16 |
| Distance from grid to turn one | 336m |
| Car performance | |
| Full throttle | 57.4% |
| Longest flat-out section | 1397m |
| Downforce level | High |
| Gear changes per lap | 47 |
| Strategy | |
| Pit lane time loss | 17.23s |
*Fastest lap set during a grand prix
More articles about Shanghai International Circuit
Pictures
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and