Chinese Grand Prix

Shanghai International Circuit
Race information
Laps	56
Circuit length	5.451 km (3.387 mi)
Race length	305.066 km (189.568 mi)
Number of times held	6
First held	2004
Most wins (drivers)	no repeat winners
Most wins (constructors)	Ferrari (3)
Last race (2009):
Pole position	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:36.184
Podium	1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h 57m 43.485s (155.480 km/h) 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault +10.970s 3. Jenson Button Brawn-Mercedes +44.975s
Fastest lap	Rubens Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes 1:52.592

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. It is the most expensive Formula One circuit facility, costing $240 million.^[1] The track is 5.451 km long^[2] and features one of the trickiest corners combinations on the Formula One calendar, comparable to that of Istanbul Park's turn 8. 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.

[edit] 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.^[3] 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 he retired 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.^[4]

[edit] Sponsors

Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix 2004-2008

[edit] Winners of the Chinese Grand Prix

Year	Driver	Constructor	Location	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

[edit] 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.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chinese Grand Prix

• Shanghai International Circuit

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