Chinese Grand Prix: History, Stats And Records At Shanghai International Circuit

The Chinese Grand Prix is one of the most phenomenal races on the F1 calendar. Its unique track design, built on the marshland in Shanghai’s Jiaidng district, showcases China’s righteous engineering and technological ingenuity. Since its inaugural race in 2004, the Chinese GP has shaped Formula 1’s expansion into Asian sub-continent nations.

From 2020 to 2023, the Grand Prix was not included in the Formula One calendar because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a five-year absence, it made a triumphant return to the Formula One calendar in 2024, much to the delight of both drivers and fans. Here is everything you need to know about the Chinese Grand Prix and its long-curated history.

History Of Shanghai International Circuit

The Shanghai International Circuit was structured by the leaders of the Shanghai authorities. It was built to host various racing events to be held in China and to showcase the Chinese power and intellectual venture over world motorsport racing. The first Chinese Grand Prix was held in 2004 at Shanghai International Circuit. This circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, who also designed one of the infamous tracks in China known as the Macau GP. The management and the corporation had signed a seven-year deal with FIA to host Formula 1 races at Shanghai International Circuit from 2004 to 2011.

Shanghai International Circuit: Key Features

The Shanghai International Circuit is inspired by the Chinese numerology symbol. The track outlet is designed in such a way that it resembles the word shang, which is one of the first characters named after the city of Shanghai. It featured medium-to-slow-speed corners with straight moving through the grandstand. In this sector, the car could drive for almost 1.4 km in just 1.6 seconds. The track has 16 turns with 2 DRS detection zones.

The track is about 5.5451 km, consists of 56 laps, and is distinguished into 3 different sectors. The most prominent feature of the track is the chicane that turns over 270 degrees before entering turn 3. Moreover, the track also has one of the longest straights in the calendar covering a distance of about 1.2 km.

Chinese Grand Prix: Notable Records and Milestones

The Chinese Grand Prix has acquainted itself with a couple of records in the history of Formula 1.

• Chinese GP Lap Record: The lap record for Chinese grand prix is held by Michael Schumacher to date. In 2004, Schumacher achieved the blistering time of 1:32:328 while driving for the Ferrari F1 team.

• Chinese GP Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap record at the Chinese Grand Prix in 2018, clocking an impressive time of 1:31.095 during qualifying while driving for Ferrari.

• Most Successive Wins: Lewis Hamilton won the Chinese GP most number of times, winning it six times in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019.

Check out the Chinese Grand Prix winners year by year from 2004 to 2024: