The fourth round of the 2014 Formula 1 season takes place in China at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The race has a tough act to follow after what was a thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix. However, there was little time to reflect with focus soon switching to the final flyaway round before the sport’s return to Europe.
China burst onto the F1 scene back in 2004 and was typically one of the final races of the year, before it was moved to an early-season date in 2009. For this year, it has swapped places with Bahrain on the schedule.
Mercedes has so far dominated the opening three rounds of the 2014 season and that doesn’t look set to change at the Shanghai International Circuit, which hosts the 11th Chinese Grand Prix.
Despite Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg being in a league of their own, they were closely matched at the last race and gave us a fantastic battle for the lead, so hopefully we will see more of the same.
The scrap for the final podium position looks incredibly exciting with Force India, McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Williams all in the mix, as well as Ferrari.
Toro Rosso seems to be a little bit further back, with Sauber and Lotus just fighting to finish after a difficult start to the year for both outfits. Marussia and Caterham remain at the back but the gap to those directly ahead looks to have decreased.
The venue for the fourth round of the season is a challenging circuit with a good mix of slow, medium and high-speed corners. It was designed by (yes, you guessed it) Hermann Tilke, who is responsible for seven track layouts on the current calendar.
It features one of the longest straights in Formula 1 and is renowned for its modern and up-to-date facilities. The track was built on swampland and took 18 months to complete, costing $450 million. However, its location has caused some subsidence in recent years, creating additional bumps on an already uneven surface.
The three sectors of the lap each have unique characteristics. The first contains a number of slow corners, while the second features more medium and high-speed bends. The final section features a bit of everything, including a long straight and tight hairpin.
Let’s take a look at a lap of the Shanghai International Circuit, shall we? The 3.39 mile layout features a wide variety of corners. A long pit straight, where the first DRS zone will be positioned, and a tightening, long-duration right-hand bend starts the lap.
The exit of the pit lane feeds cars back onto the circuit to the right and just before the first corner. It leads directly to the blind apex of turn two, which is also a right-hander, before the track dips downhill for turns three and four (which make up a slow left-hand hairpin).
A good exit is crucial for the short straight that follows, which is broken up by the flat-out, barely-there turn five. The second sector begins just prior to the heavy braking zone for the turn six hairpin, which is another right-hand corner. This is, like turn one, a strong overtaking opportunity.
The cars then power uphill towards the sweeping, high-speed turns seven and eight. The tricky left-right complex will be best suited to the likes of Red Bull Racing, whose RB10 is known to work well in the fast corners.
The ninth and 10th turns on the track follow soon after. Both are slow left-handers, with speed building throughout. However, a good exit is vital for the next straight, which is where the third sector starts.
There is another heavy braking zone before the 11th and 12th corners, which make up a left-right chicane. Traction is low and drivers are often aggressive with their use of the kerbs through this section, to get the optimum line for the long right-hander that is turn 13.
It opens up as the corner progresses, and carrying good speed through this section is incredibly important for the run onto one of the sport’s longest straights. This is where the second DRS zone will be positioned.
The new-for-2014 cars will reach higher top speeds here due to the new power-units and lower downforce levels, which will in turn slow the cars and create more wheelspin (which drivers will try to reduce by moving through the gears quicker) in the corners.
Turn 14 is the best overtaking opportunity on the track, as it is a slow right-hand hairpin with plenty of run-off area to save drivers from any mistakes and missed braking points. Turn 15 is non-existent and the 16th corner closes the lap. It is a 90-degree right-hander that is tricky to get right.
The weather is typically cool for the race and rain often makes an appearance. The track surface isn’t very abrasive, but the tyres are often worked hard - particularly the rears, which will suffer even more this year due to the increased torque.
The pit entry is very difficult, as drivers have to go straight on at the final corner before tackling a tight and slow left-hander. Lewis Hamilton famously beached his McLaren in the gravel trap at the pit entry during the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix after the team’s strategy backfired and he was forced to attempt the corner with severely worn intermediate tyres.
However, the Brit is one of two multiple winners of the race alongside Fernando Alonso. Both have stood on the top step of the podium twice, with Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel being previous winners on the current grid.
Rubens Barrichello won the inaugural round in 2004 from Raikkonen and Button, with Michael Schumacher famously taking the last of his 91 wins at the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix. The circuit often produces some exciting races, so hopefully this trend will continue.
Chinese Grand Prix Fact File:
Location: Shanghai, China
Track Length: 3.39 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 16
Laps: 56
First race: 2004
Lap record: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004, 1m32.238
Tyre compounds: Medium and soft
2013 race winner: Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2013 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m34.484
2013 fastest lap: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 1m36.808
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (Highlights BBC)
 |
| © Caterham F1 Team |
China burst onto the F1 scene back in 2004 and was typically one of the final races of the year, before it was moved to an early-season date in 2009. For this year, it has swapped places with Bahrain on the schedule.
Mercedes has so far dominated the opening three rounds of the 2014 season and that doesn’t look set to change at the Shanghai International Circuit, which hosts the 11th Chinese Grand Prix.
Despite Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg being in a league of their own, they were closely matched at the last race and gave us a fantastic battle for the lead, so hopefully we will see more of the same.
 |
| © Ferrari |
The scrap for the final podium position looks incredibly exciting with Force India, McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Williams all in the mix, as well as Ferrari.
Toro Rosso seems to be a little bit further back, with Sauber and Lotus just fighting to finish after a difficult start to the year for both outfits. Marussia and Caterham remain at the back but the gap to those directly ahead looks to have decreased.
The venue for the fourth round of the season is a challenging circuit with a good mix of slow, medium and high-speed corners. It was designed by (yes, you guessed it) Hermann Tilke, who is responsible for seven track layouts on the current calendar.
It features one of the longest straights in Formula 1 and is renowned for its modern and up-to-date facilities. The track was built on swampland and took 18 months to complete, costing $450 million. However, its location has caused some subsidence in recent years, creating additional bumps on an already uneven surface.
The three sectors of the lap each have unique characteristics. The first contains a number of slow corners, while the second features more medium and high-speed bends. The final section features a bit of everything, including a long straight and tight hairpin.
Let’s take a look at a lap of the Shanghai International Circuit, shall we? The 3.39 mile layout features a wide variety of corners. A long pit straight, where the first DRS zone will be positioned, and a tightening, long-duration right-hand bend starts the lap.
The exit of the pit lane feeds cars back onto the circuit to the right and just before the first corner. It leads directly to the blind apex of turn two, which is also a right-hander, before the track dips downhill for turns three and four (which make up a slow left-hand hairpin).
 |
| © Williams Martini Racing |
A good exit is crucial for the short straight that follows, which is broken up by the flat-out, barely-there turn five. The second sector begins just prior to the heavy braking zone for the turn six hairpin, which is another right-hand corner. This is, like turn one, a strong overtaking opportunity.
The cars then power uphill towards the sweeping, high-speed turns seven and eight. The tricky left-right complex will be best suited to the likes of Red Bull Racing, whose RB10 is known to work well in the fast corners.
The ninth and 10th turns on the track follow soon after. Both are slow left-handers, with speed building throughout. However, a good exit is vital for the next straight, which is where the third sector starts.
There is another heavy braking zone before the 11th and 12th corners, which make up a left-right chicane. Traction is low and drivers are often aggressive with their use of the kerbs through this section, to get the optimum line for the long right-hander that is turn 13.
It opens up as the corner progresses, and carrying good speed through this section is incredibly important for the run onto one of the sport’s longest straights. This is where the second DRS zone will be positioned.
The new-for-2014 cars will reach higher top speeds here due to the new power-units and lower downforce levels, which will in turn slow the cars and create more wheelspin (which drivers will try to reduce by moving through the gears quicker) in the corners.
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
Turn 14 is the best overtaking opportunity on the track, as it is a slow right-hand hairpin with plenty of run-off area to save drivers from any mistakes and missed braking points. Turn 15 is non-existent and the 16th corner closes the lap. It is a 90-degree right-hander that is tricky to get right.
The weather is typically cool for the race and rain often makes an appearance. The track surface isn’t very abrasive, but the tyres are often worked hard - particularly the rears, which will suffer even more this year due to the increased torque.
The pit entry is very difficult, as drivers have to go straight on at the final corner before tackling a tight and slow left-hander. Lewis Hamilton famously beached his McLaren in the gravel trap at the pit entry during the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix after the team’s strategy backfired and he was forced to attempt the corner with severely worn intermediate tyres.
However, the Brit is one of two multiple winners of the race alongside Fernando Alonso. Both have stood on the top step of the podium twice, with Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel being previous winners on the current grid.
Rubens Barrichello won the inaugural round in 2004 from Raikkonen and Button, with Michael Schumacher famously taking the last of his 91 wins at the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix. The circuit often produces some exciting races, so hopefully this trend will continue.
Chinese Grand Prix Fact File:
Location: Shanghai, China
Track Length: 3.39 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 16
Laps: 56
First race: 2004
Lap record: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004, 1m32.238
Tyre compounds: Medium and soft
2013 race winner: Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2013 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m34.484
2013 fastest lap: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 1m36.808
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (Highlights BBC)
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