[Official] Chinese Grand Prix 2024: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 5 of 24

[Born Racer]

Twenty years ago, China hosted its first ever Grand Prix, one of a wealth of F1 races in parts of the world which had hitherto not hosted such events or not had any for a long time, including the Middle East and USA. Of course, nearby Japan already had its established Grand Prix at the much-loved circuit of Suzuka, but China, then the world’s most-populous country had precious little motorsports history.

Its recent absence due to COVID-19 makes this anniversary feel slightly strange, as it feels like quite a lot of time has elapsed since our last trip to the city of Shanghai for F1 – the form book of teams and drivers has certainly undergone one of its periodic shifts.


The history

In fact, China had been due to host a Grand Prix some years earlier, as Zhuhai, located in Guangdong Province in the south of the country, was built for F1 and on the provisional calendar for 1999, but eventually fell short of the FIA's requirements.

Held in the autumn, the debut race at Shanghai, five years later was won by Rubens Barrichello in his Ferrari, while his world champion team-mate Michael Schumacher had a scrappy race, starting from the pit lane after spinning out in qualifying and then ending the Grand Prix in 12th after another spin, a collision and a puncture.

In 2005, Shanghai hosted the season closer and newly-crowned first-time world champion Fernando Alonso took the race victory and helped to seal Renault's first constructors' crown. As he did the previous year, Michael Schumacher had to start the race from the pit lane after a collision with Minardi's Christijan Albers on the way to the grid. Schumacher subsequently spun out of the race.

In 2006, there had been talk that GP2 champion and rising star Lewis Hamilton would start his career as early as China, as Juan Pablo Montoya was out of action, but in the end McLaren stuck with Pedro de la Rosa. Michael Schumacher made amends for his last two Chinese adventures by winning and putting himself equal on points with Fernando Alonso, but ahead on countback to keep himself in the frame for the title. It was to be the seven-time world champion’s 91st and final victory.

It rained before the race and Schumacher, who had started in 6th, scythed his way through the field. Race leader Alonso's pace had dropped away dramatically in the wet and he had been passed by Michael, when he finally pitted for dry tyres and suffered a wheel nut problem, which put him yet further back. He eventually caught up with Schumacher, but could only finish runner-up, three seconds back.

The 2007 Chinese Grand Prix is memorable for a twist in the championship fight, as McLaren riskily kept Lewis Hamilton out on struggling tyres in a bid to keep him in contention for the win, prompting him to wear them to the canvas. Hamilton had gone into the race leading the championship by 12 points after Alonso had crashed out in the wet in Fuji. Kimi Räikkönen took the Chinese victory for the Scuderia, while Lewis's race ended frustratingly in a gravel trap on the pitlane entry. Boss Ron Dennis made what were to become notorious remarks that “we weren't racing Kimi; we were racing Alonso”.

In 2008, Hamilton took victory over Felipe Massa, setting himself up for the championship win he was to take by a whisker in the next and final race in Brazil.

The Shanghai race switched to the early part of the season in 2009 and Jenson Button and Brawn's dominance in the first seven races was only broken by Red Bull's first ever win here. Sebastian Vettel led Mark Webber home in a 1-2 and Button took the final spot on the podium in a wet race. The British national anthem was played erroneously for the Milton Keynes-based team, instead of the Austrian one.

Following his switch of teams, it was Jenson Button who topped the podium in 2010, this time making it a McLaren 1-2 after a race in wet conditions, with Lewis Hamilton second. It was the first British 1-2 since 1999 (Irvine and Coulthard in Austria) and the first English 1-2 since 1969 (Hill and Courage in Monaco). Following this fourth race in the championship, Button led the championship again. In practice, Sébastian Buemi's front upright broke, causing both his front wheels to come off, in a bizarre-looking accident.

The next year, Hamilton only just avoided having to start from the pitlane, as he left for the grid with 35 seconds to spare following a fuel problem. He went on to win the race with three stops, becoming the first driver to take two wins in Shanghai, beating Sebastian Vettel and his two-stop strategy. Hamilton’s teammate Button lost time when he stopped at the Red Bull pit on Lap 15.

In 2012, Nico Rosberg took his first Grand Prix victory and the first win in the modern era for Mercedes-Benz, by almost 21 seconds from the McLaren pair of Hamilton and Button. Rosberg's team-mate Schumacher, who had qualified third, missed out on a potentially high finish, after retiring when his front-right was not fitted properly during a pit stop. In a race with heavy degradation, Alonso took victory with Ferrari the following year. Ma Qinghua participated in Free Practice for Caterham, thereby becoming the first Chinese driver to drive in his home Grand Prix weekend (having driven for HRT in Free Practice the previous year).

2014 saw Lewis Hamilton top the podium and lead home a Mercedes 1-2, with the chequered flag erroneously being waved a lap early at the end of Lap 55. This saw the race result declared as things had stood at the end of Lap 54.

In 2015, Hamilton was the first driver to get back-to-back Chinese Grands Prix victories, as he again showed Rosberg the way home. A year later, Rosberg took victory from Vettel and Daniil Kvyat. Kvyat’s Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo had beaten Rosberg into the first turn but dropped back after a tyre failure on Lap 3, eventually coming home in fourth.

In 2017, Hamilton beat Vettel, while Max Verstappen had a superb drive from 19th on the grid to complete the podium. In 2018, 6th-placed starter Daniel Ricciardo overtook Valtteri Bottas to take victory. Vettel collided with Verstappen and ended up in 8th, the latter of whom had earlier lost a place to his Australian team-mate after running wide.
2019 was the most recent event run here and in what probably feels like a distant memory, Hamilton won from Bottas. Bottas had started on pole, but lost ground to his Mercedes teammate off the start. Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris and Kvyat all collided on Lap 1 at Turn 4, leading to the much later retirement of the latter two.


The track



The Shanghai International Circuit, one of Hermann Tilke's creations, has a layout based on the Chinese symbol 'Shang' - ? - the first character in the name of the city itself, which means 'above', 'ascend' or 'high'.

The circuit offers up an interesting challenge to the drivers and teams, with some long, winding curves where finely-judged throttle control and decent aero stability are an asset, in addition to long straights where they will want as little drag as possible. It is quite a front-limited track.

Turns 1 and 2 are basically one long corner, albeit with two apex points. Into the first one, drivers go down the gears to about 6th as they touch the apex, before patiently letting the car roll through the corner and dropping to as low as 2nd gear before hitting the second apex. The front-lefts work hard here and are prone to graining. Hitting the Turn 3 apex, the car is then just kept level as they go through Turn 4 (effectively making it one corner with Turn 4 just an exit of Turn 3), before the slight kink at 5. Braking downhill into Turn 6, drivers then approach a faster section.

They head for the most intense complex, approaching Turn 7 with quite a late apex and keeping some throttle down during the turn before getting fully back on the power and swinging right into 8. A short straight is followed by Turns 9 and 10, where it is easy to lock the fronts on the entry, two slower left-handers following in quick succession, which lead onto a significant straight.

Heading into Turn 11, a left-hander, drivers soon need to be getting it into 12, as they hit DRS Detection Zone 1 and go through this long, long right-hander which takes them through to Turn 13 too, a continuation of this. After the longest straight on the circuit (1.17km) and DRS, they jump on the brakes between the 150 and 100 metre boards and go through the tight and then more open rights at Turns 14 and 15. Drivers pick up the second DRS Detection before the final corner, which is a quick left-hander which favours those prepared to risk it and carry a lot of speed in the curve. Braking a bit early here can be an advantage as the corner is short and quick and hurls the drivers back onto the start-finish straight.


Trivia

Zhou Guanyu will become the first driver to race in a Chinese Grand Prix weekend this Saturday when he lines up for the Sprint.

14 of the drivers who competed in the last Chinese Grand Prix will compete this time round.

Fernando Alonso is the only driver still on the grid to have competed in the first Chinese Grand Prix, twenty years ago.

Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver in China, with six wins to his name. Of the other drivers still racing, Alonso has won twice. Verstappen has never won.

Hamilton is also the only driver to have had more than one fastest lap here (he has had four).

Mercedes are the most successful team in China, with six wins. Ferrari are next up, on four.


Other thoughts

The first Sprint of the season may pose a challenge. After limited running on what could be a pretty green track, those who are able to get on the pace very quickly could be in for some good points hauls. Meanwhile, the weather may throw a spanner in the works, with the possibility of scattered showers on Sunday.


Other information

Circuit length: 5.451km
Number of laps: 56
Race distance: 305.066km
Race lap record: 1:32.238 (Michael Schumacher - Ferrari - 2004)
Dry weather tyre compounds: C2, C3 & C4
First Chinese Grand Prix: 2004
First Chinese Grand Prix at this circuit: 2004
First Chinese Grand Prix on this configuration: 2004

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[GTRMagic]

Are we taking bets on which Williams will crash first?