After winning in Sepang, Red Bull Racing returns to China and the scene of our first ever victory. Here’s our guide to Shanghai, its racing and circuit…
Shanghai offers an amazing, modern track and - after an admittedly long, long commute - a city that has so much to explore you could spend weeks here and only scratch the surface of what it has to give: amazing cuisine, stunning architecture, incredible nightlife in some of the world’s hottest clubs and bars, and a culture with 5,000 years of fascinating history behind it.
The introduction of the venue made Formula One a truly global world championship and the track, coupled with the occasional spot of rain makes the Shanghai International Circuit one of the most challenging for drivers.
China Basics
• China’s Shanghai International Circuit joined the F1 calendar on 26 September 2004 and in total has been run six times.
• The 16-corner track layout was inspired by the Chinese character shang, the first character in the name of the city Shanghai, meaning ‘above’ or ‘ascend’.
• No driver has dominated in China, with the winners’ list currently reading: Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and… Sebastian Vettel.
• Pole position is a different story, with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso both on pole twice here.
China Racing
• Despite winning in 2006, the circuit has been difficult for Michael Schumacher. In the inaugural race, the German spun in qualifying, started from the rear of the field and finished outside the points for the first time that season. The following year, he suffered a momentary lapse of reason and smashed into the back of Christijan Albers’ Minardi during the grid formation lap. Schumacher had to start from the pit lane but then spun out of the race on lap.
• It’s been a happy hunting ground for Vettel though. Driving for Toro Rosso in 2007, he risked a one-stop strategy and drove masterfully in the rain to climb from 17th on the grid to fourth by the final flag, an amazing result for the then 20-year-old. And then last year… well, you know what happened last year.
China Analysis
• The SIC circuit is very severe on tyres, with heavy lateral loads in a number of corners hurting tyre performance. ‘Graining’ of the rear tyres – when bits of rubber come away and are re-deposited on the tyres leading to poor performance – is also an issue. With rear tyres stressed more by heavy starting fuel loads this could be a problem.
• Turn 14 at the end of the massive back straight is the best overtaking spot, a tight hairpin turn where cars brake down from seventh gear and 320 km/h to second gear and just 70 km/h.
What Happened Last Year
With heavy rain falling on the grid, the first eight laps of the race were run under the safety car. Pole winner Sebastian Vettel held his lead when the safety car exited and with second-on-the-grid Fernando Alonso removed from contention when he pitted under the safety car for fuel, Mark Webber moved into second. The Red Bull Racing pair dominated from that point on and while drivers chopped and changed position behind, Vettel and Webber imperiously raced to the flag to score Red Bull Racing’s first win and first one-two. The last podium spot was taken by Jenson Button, the Briton consolidating his championship lead, with team-mate Rubens Barrichello fourth. The remaining points positions were filled by Kovalainen, Hamilton, Glock and Toro Rosso’s Sébastien Buemi, who scored his second points finish of the season with eighth place.
Comments
Add a comment