Shanghai International Circuit

Shanghai International Circuit is a no-expense-spared facility, conceived by the Shanghai authorities as a way to showcase the city to the world. A 5.3 sq km site was chosen in the Jiading District in the north west of the city, close to major car parts manufacturing facilities and a budget of 2.6 billion yuan ($450 million) raised through a government-funded joint-venture company, the Shanghai Jiushi Group.

Herman Tilke was chosen to design the track and associated buildings, and between April and May 2003, engineers visited the site to draw up their plans. The site was actually a swampland, previously used as rice paddy fields, and extensive groundworks had to be completed to construct the circuit. For 18 months some 3,000 workers were on site daily to complete the facility – a remarkable feat of both engineering and logistics.

When it opened, visitors found a vast complex, dominated by the main grandstand and pit complex, which featured wing-like viewing platforms crossing the circuit at either end. This can hold 30,000 spectators alone, and others around the circuit take the total capacity to 200,000. Paddock facilities were also unique – each of the F1 teams had its own building, arranged like pavilions in a lake to resemble the ancient Yu Garden in Shanghai.[1]

Satellite image of the circuit, as it appeared in April 2018

The track layout was inspired from the Chinese character shang (上), the first character in the name of the city Shanghai , meaning "above" or "ascend".[2]

There’s a unique start to the lap as the drivers fly into the ever-tightening Turns 1 and 2, before they dart left through 3 and 4. The super-high g force Turns 7 and 8 are loved by the drivers, while the circuit also features one of the longest straights on the calendar, the 1.2 km stretch that separates turns 13 and 14.[3]

The Shanghai International Circuit is the first in China to be purpose-built for Formula One and it hosts FIA Formula One World Championship Chinese Grand Prix every year since 2004.[4] The circuit also holds a number of global high-profile series, including the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Blancpain GT Series Asia.

In the past, the circuit has hosted the MotoGP world championship, and a one-off V8 Supercars China Round of the Australian-based V8 Supercar championship in 2005, and also the final round of the A1 Grand Prix in 2006/2007.

The first two bends make a 185 km/h (115 mph) right-hand curve which leads immediately into turns 3 and 4 taken at 105 km/h (65 mph). One and two are far more difficult – a lift on entry followed by various taps of the throttle and brakes are needed so the car maintains balance throughout. It also becomes blind towards the middle of the corner.[5] Three and four are less complicated, with three being a simple hairpin, but a good exit is needed from four to gain speed down the following straight and through turn 5. The complex of turns 1–4 makes up the first of two "snails" on the circuit, the other being turns 11–13.[6] Turn 6 is a second gear, right-handed hairpin with plentiful run-off. Turns 7 and 8 make up a high speed chicane – the left-right complex sees a constant G-force of 3[5] and a minimum speed of about 160 km/h (99 mph). Turns 9 and 10 immediately follow – two slow left-handers which require a good exit to gain speed down the next straight. Turns 11 and 12 effectively make up a slow left-right chicane where the use of kerbs are important but traction is low. Turn 13 is a very long right-hander which becomes less and less tight, and a very good exit is important as DRS is available down the following straight. At 1.170 km (0.727 mi), it is the equivalent to 11 football pitches laid end to end, or the same length as three and a half of the world's biggest aircraft carriers[7] Turn 14 is a hairpin at the end of the straight – the second gear corner is a prime overtaking spot as DRS is available in the run up to the corner. Turn 16 is the last corner – a fourth-gear[5] left-hander which requires a quick tap on the brakes – braking early can be more effective as you can then carry more speed through the corner and then down the pit straight.

The total length of the circuit is 5.451 km (3.387 mi), which is about average for a Formula One circuit. Michael Schumacher's race lap record of 1:32.238 has stood since 2004. In Q3 of 2018 Chinese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel qualified on pole position with a time of 1:31.095, a new track record.[8] The official race lap records at the Shanghai International Circuit are listed as:

Category	Record	Circuit Length	Circuit Layout	Driver/Rider	Team	Bike/Chassis	Date
Formula One	1:32.238	5.451 km (3.387 mi)		Michael Schumacher	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari F2004	September 26, 2004
LMP1	1:45.892[9]	Sébastien Buemi	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota TS050 Hybrid 2017	November 5, 2017
GP2 Asia	1:46.407	Kamui Kobayashi	DAMS	Dallara GP2/05	October 18, 2008
LMP2	1:51.793[9]	Bruno Senna	Vaillante Rebellion	Oreca 07 Gibson	November 5, 2017
A1 Grand Prix	1:51.832	Darren Manning	A1 Team Great Britain	Lola B05/52	April 1, 2006
LMP3	2:00.638[10]	James Winslow	Craft-Bamboo Racing	Ligier JS P3 Nissan	August 27, 2017
LM GTE	2:00.948[9]	Kévin Estre	Porsche GT Team	Porsche 911 RSR-19	November 10, 2019
Formula 3	2:01.400[11]	Daniel Cao	Absolute Racing	Tatuus F.3 T-318	September 27, 2019
GT3	2:05.458[12]	Chen Wei An	TianShi Racing Team	Audi R8 LMS	November 25, 2018
TCR Touring Car	2:17.039[13]	Luca Engstler	Liqui Moly Team Engstler	Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR	October 5, 2018
GT4	2:19.958[14]	Ringo Chong	Team iRace.Win	Mercedes-AMG GT4	September 14, 2019
MotoGP	1:59.273	5.281 km (3.281 mi)		Valentino Rossi	Fiat Yamaha Team	Yamaha YZR-M1	May 4, 2008
250cc	2:05.738	Jorge Lorenzo	Fortuna Aprilia	Aprilia RSW 250	May 6, 2007
125cc	2:12.131	Álvaro Bautista	Master - MVA Aspar	Aprilia RS 125 R	May 14, 2006
A1 Grand Prix	1:35.177	4.603 km (2.860 mi)		Robert Wickens	A1 Team Canada	Lola B05/52	April 13, 2008
WTCC	1:50.833	Ma Qing Hua	Citroën Total WTCC	Citroën C-Elysée WTCC	October 12, 2014
V8 Supercars	1:51.056[15]	Todd Kelly	Holden Racing Team	Holden VZ Commodore	June 12, 2005
TCR Touring Car	1:59.143[16]	Huang Chu Han	New Faster Team	Audi RS 3 LMS TCR	August 5, 2017

Current

• May: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
• June: TCR Asia Series, TCR China Touring Car Championship, China Formula 4 Championship
• September: TCR Asia Series, TCR China Touring Car Championship, Alpine Formula Racing Asia Series
• October: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia

Former

• A1 Grand Prix (2006–2008)
• Asian Le Mans Series (2014, 2018–2019)
• F3 Asian Championship (2018–2019)
• FIA World Endurance Championship 4 Hours of Shanghai (2012–2019)
• Formula One Chinese Grand Prix (2004–2019)
• GT World Challenge Asia (2017–2019)
• GP2 Asia Series (2008)
• MotoGP Chinese motorcycle Grand Prix (2005–2008)
• TCR International Series (2015)
• V8 Supercars V8 Supercars China Round (2005)
• World Touring Car Championship FIA WTCC Race of China (2012–2016)

• 
  Exterior of main grandstand
• 
  Main grandstand
• 
  View from the main grandstand
• 
  Covered grandstand H & K
• 
  Grandstand H & K
• 
  Pit

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shanghai International Circuit.

• Official website (in Chinese and English)
• Shanghai International Circuit | JUSSEVENT
• Shanghai International Circuit at Official Formula 1 website
• Map and circuit history at RacingCircuits.info
• Ciro Pabón's Racetracks 3D views and virtual laps of all F1 circuits, including this one, via Google Earth
• Shanghai International Circuit on Google Maps (Current Formula 1 Tracks)