Max Verstappen, driver from the Netherlands, competed for the Red Bull Racing team in the RB20 car during the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on April 19, 2024. This event of the Formula 1 World Championship marks the return of the sport to Shanghai after a five-year hiatus caused by complications related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Shanghai International Circuit has been a frequent venue on the Formula 1 calendar since 2004. However, due to the global pandemic in 2019, the race was not held for five consecutive years. Compared to other well-established tracks like Monza, the Shanghai International Circuit is relatively new, having been built in 2003 in the Jiading district of Shanghai. The aim of constructing this circuit was to showcase the city to the world through hosting Formula 1 races.
One of the most notable features of the Shanghai International Circuit are its challenging corners, often referred to as “snails”. These corners consist of tight right-hand turns immediately followed by left-hand turns. The corners in these turns twist almost 270 degrees in both directions. The tight corner at Turn 3 leads to an even tighter Turn 4, requiring drivers to exit smoothly and quickly to maintain speed on the subsequent straight before Turn 5.
Setor 1 of the circuit is particularly demanding on both brakes and accelerator, as drivers have little time to rest after navigating the initial corners. Turn 6 introduces a right-hand corner with a large run-off area, leading to high-speed chicanes formed by Turns 7 and 8. The subsequent left-hand sections create a constant 3G force, with a minimum speed of 160 km/h before entering the slower left-hand corners at Turns 9 and 10. Drivers must stay focused and execute a strong exit out of Turn 10 to maximize their speed on the straight.
Moving on to the next set of corners, Turns 11 and 12 are slow left-hand chicanes with low grip that lead to a long right-hand corner. Turn 13 requires a powerful exit, as it leads to the longest straight on the track, measuring 1,170 km. This straight leads to the tight corner at Turn 14, which is known as one of the main overtaking zones on the circuit. Drivers can use the Drag Reduction System (DRS) to assist in overtaking maneuvers on this straight. The final corner, Turn 16, is a challenging left-hand corner that takes drivers back to the pit straight.
The Shanghai International Circuit is a favorite among fans due to its combination of challenging corners and long straights, providing ample overtaking opportunities. As the host of the first Sprint weekend of the 2024 season, the circuit underwent significant modifications to its surface in preparation for the race. After being largely inactive since 2019, the track needed to be leveled before Formula 1 cars could hit the track on Friday.
With the reintroduction of ground effect aerodynamics, it is crucial to have smooth surfaces on the tracks, as uneven tracks can hinder the performance of the cars. Track organizers collaborated with circuit designer Tilke to ensure that the track surface is a smooth as possible. This resulted in teams having very limited and outdated data on the track.
Before the Sprint Qualifying on Friday, teams had only one hour of practice session to familiarize themselves with the new track surface. Simone Berra, Chief Engineer of Pirelli Formula 1, expressed that this will be a significant challenge not only for Pirelli, but also for the teams. It is important for them to understand how the track has aged over the years, considering the micro and macro roughness.
Current World Champion Max Verstappen shared his thoughts on the situation, stating that he believes it is not ideal to make such changes to a track after a long period of absence. He believes that the unpredictability of the experience could have been avoided by having a normal race weekend.
Shanghai has been a venue for significant moments in Formula 1 history. It witnessed Fernando Alonso becoming the youngest World Drivers’ Champion in 2005 and also hosted the 1000th Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2019.
© 2024
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