China · The 上 Circuit

Chinese Grand Prix

Shanghai International Circuit

5.451 km

Lap length

56

Laps

16

Corners

2

DRS zones

Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai
Photo: Planet Labs, Inc. (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons
City
Shanghai
First GP
2004
Race distance
305.066 km
Lap record
1:32.238 · Michael Schumacher (2004)
Round 02 Chinese Grand Prix China

The Shanghai layout

Designed by Hermann Tilke and shaped — when seen from the air — like the Chinese character 上 (“up” or “above”). It’s a Tilke circuit done well: a genuinely difficult opening sector, a long straight, a heavy braking zone for overtaking, and a unique Turn 1–2–3 sequence that tightens continuously like a coiled spring.

Why it matters

Shanghai returned to the calendar in 2024 after a five-year COVID-era absence. The track surface is unusually abrasive, which makes tyre strategy a defining factor every year — and the long Turn 13 onto the back straight is one of the most physical corners on the calendar for drivers’ necks.

What to watch for

  • Turn 1 — a 270° decreasing-radius turn. Drivers who lean too long on entry pay all lap.
  • The back straight (over 1.2 km) — among the longest DRS zones of the year. Easy slipstream overtake into Turn 14.
  • Tyre degradation — Shanghai usually demands two stops; teams that try to one-stop almost always regret it.