Chinese Grand Prix

The Chinese Grand Prix debuted on September 2004, at the most expensive Formula 1 circuit to date, the Shanghai International Circuit costing an approximate US $450 million. The 5.4 km circuit is fully modern and was meant to represent the race circuit of the new millennium. The circuit does not only cater to drivers and their respective teams, but to the fans as well. The main grandstand alone accommodates 29,000 grand prix aficionados, who are able to see 80% of the action on the track.

China's original bid for a spot at the Formula 1 championship was targeted for 1999, and a track was readied, but did not meet the requirements of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. With the help of the officials of Formula 3's Macau Grand Prix, China was able to reclaim its spot in the F1 calendar. The Shanghai International Circuit is actually a little way off from Shanghai, in the district of Jiading. The location of the circuit was originally a marshland, which was cleared and stabilized with concrete before it could be used for motorsport.

Architects and Shanghai International Circuit designers Hermann Tilke and Peter Wahl claim that they were inspired by the landscaping and designs of traditional Chinese gardens and pavilions. Many Chinese spectators have noticed that the layout of the track resembles the Chinese character for the word "shang," which means "ascend" or sometimes, "high above." Since "shang" is the first word in the name, Shanghai, many thought Tilke had intentionally designed the track after this configuration, but they confirmed that it was coincidental.
 

For drivers, the challenge of the track is the long back straight which allows cars to accelerate up to 300 km per hour, and then turning into a sharp hairpin curve. Chinese Grand Prix ticket holders do get their money's worth from all the action on the track, with sudden accelerations and decelerations of the drivers as well as several exciting overtaking throughout the race.

The first winner of the Chinese Grand Prix was Rubens Barrichello, followed by Fernando Alonso in 2005, only a year after he won the World championship. In 2006, Michael Schumacher won his very last grand prix in Shanghai, retiring from auto racing at the end of that season. The 2007 winner was Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen.

Unlike most Chinese cities, Shanghai has the luxury of two airports, the Pudong and Hongquiao International airports. Hongquiao will not be as busy as Pudong, although one attraction of Pudong is the access to the magnetic levitation trains or Maglev, which brings you into Shanghai in only 8 minutes, even though it is a good 30 km away. Once in Shanghai, you can get around the city by two metro train lines or, if you wish, by boat.

To get to the track, however, you'll have to either take one of several designated shuttle buses, whose loading stations are found all over the city, or hire a rental car. Be advised that Chinese law stipulates that rental car hirers must also employ a local driver, which may be more of an advantage than a detriment.

There are many 3- to 5-star hotels in Shanghai, with the best accommodations you can find anywhere. If you're on a budget, you can find less expensive accommodations in the suburbs surrounding Shanghai, which are easy to get to using the Metro lines.

Apart from the main grandstand, there are several grandstands with absolutely breathtaking views. Grandstand Chinese Grand Prix tickets are definitely more highly recommended than general admission seats. The expensive seats are of course those close to the track, with ticket prices decreasing as the seating goes farther up the grandstand.