Chinese Grand Prix

This article is about the Formula One race. For other uses, see Chinese Grand Prix (disambiguation).

Chinese Grand Prix

Shanghai International Circuit
Race information
Laps	56
Circuit length	5.451 km (3.387 mi)
Race length	305.066 km (189.559 mi)
Number of times held	8
First held	2004
Most wins (drivers)	Lewis Hamilton (2)
Most wins (constructors)	Ferrari (3) McLaren (3)
Last race (2011):
Pole position	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:33.706
Podium	1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1h 36m 58.226s 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault +5.198s 3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault +7.555s
Fastest lap	Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:38.993

The Chinese Grand Prix (Simplified Chinese: 中国大奖赛; Pinyin: Zhōngguó Dàjiǎngsài) is a round of the Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, designed by Hermann Tilke. When completed in 2004, it was the most expensive Formula One circuit facility, costing $240 million.^[1][2] The track is 5.451 km long^[3] and features one of the trickiest corners combinations on the Formula One calendar, comparable to that of Istanbul Park's turn 8, also designed by Tilke. Turn 1 and 2 are a very demanding 270 degree, right-handed corner combination that requires a lot of speed whilst entering and it tightens up towards the end.

History

The vision of a Chinese Grand Prix started in the early 1990s. The Chinese government had originally planned for an F1 circuit to be located in the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong Province, southern China. The Zhuhai International Circuit was designed and built and was provisionally added to the 1999 F1 World Championship calendar, but the track failed to meet certain standards set by the FIA.^[4] However, the Chinese government did not give up and eventually, with assistance from the organizers of the Macau Grand Prix, held the first ever Formula One race in China in 2004.^[1]

In 2002, it was announced that the management of the Shanghai International Circuit had signed a 7 year contract with the Formula One Management to host the Chinese Grand Prix starting from the 2004 season until the 2011 season. The Chinese Grand Prix debuted on September 26, 2004, and was won by Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello. The following year, it hosted the final round of the Formula One championship, in which the newly crowned world champion Fernando Alonso won and claimed the constructor's title for Renault F1. In 2006, the Chinese Grand Prix was won by Michael Schumacher - his last victory in Formula One before his initial retirement at the end of the season.

In November 2008 the BBC reported a senior race official, Qiu Weichang, as suggesting that the loss-making race might be cancelled. Following a similar announcement about the French Grand Prix, Qui Weichang said that the race's future was under consideration, and a decision would be made in 2009.^[5]

2010 came and went with no formal announcement of an extension to the initial 7 race deal struck in 2004. However, immediately after the 2010 Shanghai race Bernie Ecclestone, who manages the contracts with the various circuits, said of the 2011 calendar, "We are not dropping anything. [It's] 20 races - getting ready for 25,".^[6]

It was only in February 2011 that a deal was agreed between F1 and the organisers of the Chinese round of the world championship. Reasons for the delay appear to have been over the fee paid to F1 to host the race. After racking up losses year after year, the organisers of the race refused to pay the fee required, reported to be amongst the highest paid to host an F1 race. F1 bosses appear to have reduced the fee and the new agreement to host an F1 race runs to 2017.^[7]

Sponsors

Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix 2004-2008
UBS Chinese Grand Prix 2011-2012

Winners of the Chinese Grand Prix

Multiple winners (drivers)

# Wins	Driver	Years Won
2	Lewis Hamilton	2008, 2011

Multiple winners (constructors)

# Wins	Constructor	Years Won
3	Ferrari	2004, 2006, 2007
3	McLaren	2008, 2010, 2011

By year

Year	Driver	Constructor	Location	Report
2011	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	Shanghai	Report
2010	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	Shanghai	Report
2009	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	Shanghai	Report
2008	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	Shanghai	Report
2007	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	Shanghai	Report
2006	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Shanghai	Report
2005	Fernando Alonso	Renault	Shanghai	Report
2004	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	Shanghai	Report

Support races

Formula BMW Asia and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia have both supported the Chinese Grand Prix since 2004. In 2008, the GP2 Asia Series also raced the same weekend.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Grand Prix Shanghai Set to Go". China.org.cn. 2002-10-22. http://www.china.org.cn/english/2002/Oct/46457.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-04. 
2. ^ Abu Dhabi became most expensive at $6bn opening in 2009 "Abu Dhabi – fast-track to future of F1". independent.co.uk. 2009-10-31. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/abu-dhabi---ndash-fasttrack-to-future-of-f1-1812156.html. Retrieved 2011-02-23. 
3. ^ "Formula One Chinese Grand Prix". Forumula1.net. http://www.forumula1.net/2009-f1-season/2009-circuit-information/chinese-grand-prix/. Retrieved 2009-04-14. 
4. ^ "An introduction to the Chinese Grand Prix". Globalmotorsport. http://www.globalmotorsport.net/f1/races/china/. Retrieved 2007-07-26. 
5. ^ "China considers ditching F1 race". BBC News. 2008-11-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7728866.stm. Retrieved 2010-04-28. 
6. ^ "Bernie Ecclestone reveals F1 extension to 20 races". BBC News. 2010-04-16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8624387.stm. Retrieved 2011-02-22. 
7. ^ "Shanghai extends F1 race for seven years". france24.com. 2011-02-17. http://www.france24.com/en/20110217-shanghai-extends-f1-race-seven-years. Retrieved 2011-02-24. 

External links

• Shanghai International Circuit

Coordinates: 31°20′20″N 121°13′19″E / 31.339°N 121.222°E / 31.339; 121.222