#F1 Lenovo #ChineseGP 2024 Preview. #Formula1 #ChinaGP
Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2019 Race Start, Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. Image credit to LAT Images. 2024 Chinese GP Preview, Chinese Grand Prix Preview, 2024 F1 Chinese GP Preview.
After Max Verstappen cruised to a dominant victory ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in another Red Bull one-two, round five of the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the Shanghai International Circuit in China this weekend for the Formula 1 Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix 2024. This will be the 17th Chinese Grand Prix since 2004 when it first debuted on the Formula One calendar. This will be the first Grand Prix of six to utilise the Sprint format and will be the first Chinese GP held since 2019 due to the COVID19 pandemic in the country.
2024 Chinese GP Preview – A look at the Shanghai International Circuit
The Shanghai International Circuit is a permanent racing circuit located in the Jiading District of Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.
Costing approximately 2.6 billion yuan ($450 million US), the circuit was financed by a joint ventured government-funded company, consisting of the Shanghai Juss Corporation, Shanghai National Property Management Co Ltd, and Shanghai Jia’an Investment and Development Co Ltd. Architectural.
Circuit designers Hermann Tilke and Peter Wahl began visiting and planning the area between April and May 2003 and with a team of 3000 engineers working around the clock, the site was transformed from swampland to international racetrack within 18 months to be ready for its debut on the Formula One calendar in 2004.
The circuit layout was inspired by Chinese character ‘Shang’, the first character in the name of the city Shanghai meaning ‘high’ or ‘above’.
Other symbols represented in its remarkable architecture originate from Chinese history, such as the team buildings which are arranged like pavilions in a lake to resemble the ancient Yuyan-Garden in Shanghai. The main grandstand with 29,000 capacity seating provides spectacular viewing of almost 80 percent of the circuit.
The circuit shows uniqueness with its change of acceleration and deceleration within different winding turns, making high demands on driver and car but also for its high-speed straights. Another one of the main features of the circuit is the ‘Tilke trademark’ long back-straight followed by a hairpin. These offer exciting overtaking opportunities.
The Shanghai International Circuit runs in a clockwise direction and is 5.451km (3.388 miles) in length with 16 corners.
The race distance is 305.066km (189.599 miles) in length with 56 laps in total.
Michael Schumacher holds the fastest lap record at the Shanghai International Circuit set in 2004 with a 1:32.238 in his Ferrari F2004.
Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most victories at the Chinese Grand Prix with six wins to his name.
Mercedes are the most successful constructors at the Chinese Grand Prix with six victories.
2024 Chinese GP Preview – A Lap Of The Shanghai International Circuit
Here is the onboard pole lap of the Shanghai International Circuit set at the 2019 event by Valtteri Bottas in his Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team F1 W10 racer. The Finn posted a 1:31.547. You can watch the video right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S00mlx6l7b8
2024 Chinese GP Preview – The Last Five Winners
2023-20: Note Held. 2019: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2018: Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing. 2017: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1. 2016: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG F1. 2015: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1.
2024 Chinese GP Preview – Tyres
Pirelli, F1’s sole tyre supplier will be bringing with them to Shanghai, the white-marked C2 “Hard”, the yellow-branded C3 “Medium” and the red-marked C4 “Softs” over the race weekend including the green-marked “Intermediate” and blue-marked “Full Wet” tyres in case of rain.
Drivers will have eight sets of the Softs, three sets of the Mediums and two sets of the Hards.
2024 Chinese GP Preview – DRS Zones
As in 2019, there will be two DRS Zones for the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. The first detection point is at turn 12 with the activation point 752 metres before turn 14. The second detection point is 35 metres before the final corner with the activation point 98 metres after turn 16 on the main straight.
2024 Chinese GP Preview – Pitlane Speeds
Pitlane speeds will be 80km/h during Practice, Qualifying and the Race.
ICYMI: Verstappen storms to dominant Japanese GP victory
Max Verstappen lead from team-mate Sergio Perez to take his 57th-career victory and for a Red Bull one-two in power-unit supplier Honda’s backyard as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz completed the top three.
When the 53-lap Japanese GP began, pole-sitter Verstappen gets a solid getaway to cut off his team-mate Perez into the opening corner as Sainz attempted to overtake Norris into turn one, but the latter managed to cover the Ferrari to keep third place.
Behind the frontrunners, RB’s Daniel Ricciardo collided with Williams’ Alexander Albon crashing into the turn three barriers bringing out the red flag.
Replays showed Albon coming up on the outside of Ricciardo’s VCARB01 racer, who had to move across slightly as he was squeezed by other cars – Albon’s front wing clipped the rear right of Ricciardo and that was enough for both to lose control and go straight into the barriers.
The rest of the field returned back to the pits and parked up for a decent delay.
When the race was restarted with a standing start following a 20-minute delay as both Albon and Ricciardo’s cars were cleared, Verstappen once again got a great start covering team-mate Perez into turn one, with Norris holding off former-mate Sainz and the order remaining stable.
The beginning of lap four saw Verstappen 1.086 seconds clear of team-mate Perez, with Norris third, Sainz fourth and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso completing the top five.
A tour later Mercedes’ George Russell made his way ahead of home favourite Yuki Tsunoda to take ninth place.
On lap seven, Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas pitted for a fresh set of hards, suffering a slow pit-stop and emerged in 17th behind Williams’ Logan Sargeant.
Lap 10 saw race leader Verstappen’s gap to team-mate Perez up to 2.890 seconds, with Norris third, Sainz fourth as Alonso rounded out the top five.
In the battle for sixth place, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is in DRS range of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with the latter covering the Monegasque driver into turn one.
Further down the order, Sargeant with DRS assistance breezed his way past Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and passed the A524 racer down the main-straight into turn one to grab 13th place.
A tour later, Norris pitted from third to perform the undercut on Sainz for a fresh set of the harder compound and came out in tenth place behind Stroll.
On lap 13, Piastri also opted to stop to undercut the other Ferrari of Leclerc, putting on a fresh set of harder rubber and emerged in 12th place behind Sargeant.
A tour later, Alonso stopped from fourth, swapping his softs for mediums and came out in eighth place behind Norris.
The 15th tour saw Verstappen’s lead increased to 5.071 seconds over team-mate Perez with Sainz and Leclerc third and fourth respectively and the Mercedes pairing of Russell and Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top six with all those drivers yet to pit.
Meanwhile Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu was the third retiree of the race due to a gearbox issue.
Both Perez and Sainz pitted from third and fourth respectively for their fresh sets of mediums and both emerged in fifth and sixth behind Norris.
On lap 17, Verstappen stopped from the lead for his fresh set of the C2 yellow-marked mediums and came out in third behind the yet-to-pit Russell.
Verstappen made his way past Russell rapidly into second, whilst Norris got ahead of the other Mercedes F1 W15 entry of Hamilton to jump to fourth.
Perez got into the slipstream of Hamilton down the back straight and went to the inside of the Mercedes making a bold move through the rapid 130R left to take fifth place from the Briton.
On lap 18, Perez made almost the same identical move on the other Mercedes of Russell, but just before 130R to take fourth place.
On lap 19, in the short battle for sixth, Sainz made short work of Hamilton passing the Mercedes on the inside of Spoon Corner after the rundown of a wheel-to-wheel battle from the Casio Hairpin.
On the 20th lap, the yet-to-pit Leclerc was held 0.300 second lead over Verstappen with Norris third, Norris fourth as Russell rounded out the top five.
A tour later, with DRS assistance, Verstappen reclaimed the lead passing Leclerc’s Ferrari from the outside and into turn one.
Behind them in the fight for fifth, Sainz caught up to the rear of Mercedes F1 W15 entry of Russell into the Casio Hairpin making a late lunge, then Russell covered the SF-24 out of the hairpin – Sainz then got into the slipstream of the Silver Arrow and dived up the inside to take place from Russell to move up into fifth.
On the 23rd tour, Perez got into the slipstream of Norris’ MCL38 entry and passed the Briton on the inside into the Casio Triangle to take third.
Russell finally made his stop from seventh for a fresh set of hards and came out in ninth behind Piastri.
On lap 24, Hamilton also stopped from seventh for his fresh set of the white-branded compound and emerged in ninth place behind his Mercedes team-mate Russell.
Lap 25 saw Verstappen’s lead up to 6.844 seconds over the yet-to-pit Leclerc with Perez closely behind the Ferrari in third, Norris fourth, Sainz fifth as Alonso completed the frontrunners list.
The 26th tour in the battle for second, Perez have a close look on Leclerc into turn one with the latter covering the former – Leclerc made an error into Degner Two running deep and dipping his tyres into the gravel, allowing the Red Bull driver to move up into second place.
On the 27th lap, Leclerc and Norris both pitted for a fresh set of hards and came out in sixth and eighth respectively as Norris came out behind Russell.
A lap later, Norris with DRS assistance got into the slipstream of Russell on the main-straight and made an overtake on the outside of the F1 W15 entry into turn one to take seventh place off his fellow British-compatriot.
On lap 30, race leader Verstappen’s gap was up to 10.762 seconds over Red Bull team-mate Perez with Sainz a further 5.456 from the Mexican in third, Alonso fourth, Piastri fifth as Leclerc completed the top six.
A tour later, Leclerc is told on his radio “Everyone in front needs to stop again” with both Ferrari drivers running split strategies with both cars having solid race pace.
With 20 laps remaining, Piastri stopped from fifth to put on his fresh set of the C1 white-marked hards and emerged in ninth behind Mercedes’ Hamilton.
On lap 34, Perez and Alonso stopped from second and fourth respectively for the hards and the former came out in fifth place behind Norris and the latter in eighth place behind Hamilton.
A tour later, Verstappen pitted from the lead also for a set of hards and emerged in second behind the yet-to-pit Sainz meanwhile behind them Perez made short work of Norris to take fourth place.
On lap 36, with DRS assistance and on his fresher rubber, Perez got into the slipstream of Leclerc passing the Ferrari on the inside into the first corner to grab third place.
Replays also showed race leader Sainz suffer a lock-up into the Casio Triangle chicane.
Lap 37 saw Sainz make his second stop and came on the C1 white tyre and came out in seventh place behind Hamilton.
In the short battle for sixth on lap 38, Sainz with DRS breezed his way past Hamilton on the pit-straight to take the position whilst Russell made his final stop for the C2 yellow side-walled mediums to come out in ninth place behind Piastri.
The 40th tour saw Hamilton box from sixth for his set of the mediums and emerged in ninth behind team-mate Russell.
On lap 41, Verstappen’s lead over team-mate Perez was up to 9.225 seconds with Leclerc third, Norris fourth as Sainz rounded out the top five.
On lap 42, Sargeant suffered a lock-up into Degner Two and went into the gravel trap avoiding the wall. The American managed to reverse back onto the track and continued on.
With ten laps remaining Norris also suffered a lock-up into the Casio Hairpin making Sainz be a lot closer to the McLaren.
And with DRS assistance on the main-straight, Sainz got into the slipstream of Norris and overtook the McLaren on the inside before reaching turn one to move up into fourth place.
With seven tours left, Sainz with DRS overtook team-mate Leclerc on the pit-straight around the outside before reaching the first corner to move up into the final podium place.
With five laps remaining, Verstappen’s lead over team-mate Perez increased to 11.758 seconds with Sainz third, Leclerc fourth as Norris rounded out the top five.
A three-car battle for sixth was brewing between Alonso on 14 lap hards, Piastri on 15 lap hards, and Russell on 11 lap mediums.
Russell made a late lunge on the inside of Piastri into the Casio Triangle Chicane as the duo made slight contact running through the run-off area – Russell then with DRS attempted an overtake on the McLaren into turn one, but Piastri managed to hold position.
Russell’s incident with Piastri was noted from the race stewards.
On the penultimate tour, sixth-placed Alonso put both Piastri and Russell into DRS assistance to make all three drivers hold line astern into turn one.
The final lap saw Russell with DRS assistance make a move on the outside of Piastri to move past the McLaren to take seventh place.
Verstappen crossed the line to take the Japanese GP victory by 12.535 seconds over team-mate Perez for a Red Bull one-two in power-unit supplier Honda’s home Grand Prix as Sainz completed the top three.
Leclerc came home fourth in the other SF-24 entry as McLaren’s Norris was fifth, Alonso took sixth as Russell placed seventh in the classification.
Piastri settled for eighth place as Mercedes’ Hamilton took ninth and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda took the final point place at his home Grand Prix in-front of the Japanese faithful.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finished outside the top ten in 11th and 13th places respectively as Aston Martin’s Stroll split the pairing in 12th.
Sauber’s Bottas took 14th and ahead of Alpine duo Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly who were 15th and 16th respectively as Williams’ Sargeant brought up the rear.
2024 Chinese GP Preview – The Situation
The combination of the sport’s first Chinese Grand Prix in five years and the first Sprint weekend of the 2024 campaign is set to be a “big challenge” and “spice up” according to leading figures in Formula 1.
The sport’s return to the Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019, the year before the coronavirus plague, this weekend and a track that gained it’s reputation for producing thrilling racing during it’s initial 15-year stint on the calendar.
Formula One officials have chosen Shanghai as the venue for the first of the season’s Sprint events, the format which features a 100km Sprint race on Saturday in addition to the usual Sunday Grand Prix. In addition to the standalone qualifying sessions for both races, Sprint weekends also feature a single hour-long practice session instead of the normal three.
The majority of the 2024 grid have driven the Shanghai International Circuit before, but not with the current generation of Formula 1 machinery with ground-effect or since the advent of the Sprint format, which increases competitive track sessions and limits time to get their setups right.
Speaking after last round’s Japanese Grand Prix, several drivers questioned holding a Sprint round in Shanghai after such a long absence from the schedule – but nonetheless agreed it was likely to throw an unpredictable weekend.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who is against the Sprint weekend’s generally, said of the China schedule: “I think it’s not great, let’s say like that, to do that,” explained the Dutchman to SkySports F1. “Because when you have been away from a track for quite a while, I think you never know what you’re going to experience, right?”
“So it would have been better to have a normal race weekend there. But on the other hand, it probably spices things up a bit more, and that’s maybe what they would like to see.” Verstappen concluded. Credit to SkySports F1 for the quote.
His Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez agreed: “”I just hope that there are no issues with the track, with any drain holes, any issues like that. That will just put us out of sync. But I think for the show, probably it’s good. It’s a good thing. But I think from the preparation side, it’s going to be definitely one that is going to be really hard because, I mean, I’ve never raced there, for example, with Red Bull so it’s going to be quite a lot to do in a single practice.” Perez concluded. Credit to SkySports F1 for the quote.
However, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz said on one hand it “makes sense” to hold a Sprint weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit given it is a “great race track” that offers a good possibility to overtake”.
The Spaniard also added: “At the same time, it’s what we said in the drivers’ briefing, we say to FIA and Formula 1, with these kind of cars to go to a track with one hour of practice and straight into qualifying, with the regulations that they put us, with the plank wear and things like this, and how tricky one bump could make the car, I think it’s not a good choice to choose to put the Sprint after four or five years absence. We also heard there’s been resurfacing going on, so Istanbul 2.0 maybe on the cards! Yeah, I hope not. So yeah, it just shows the uncertainty. Maybe for you guys at home it’s exciting, but for engineers and drivers, it’s something that for me, in my opinion, we shouldn’t take the risk and have a normal weekend.” Sainz concluded, credit to SkySports F1 for the quote.
The latest change to the schedule and rules around the Sprint format since it was introduced in 2021 at select venues, those six Grands Prix weekends in 2024 will now run in a more chronological order.
Sprint Qualifying and then the 100 kilometre Sprint itself will take place before the corresponding sessions for the main Grand Prix on Sunday.
Another big change is that teams will be allowed to make setup changes to their cars after the Sprint and before qualifying for the Grand Prix, whereas previously they could not make any changes before practice.
Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin speaking to SkySports F1 said the Brackley based-outfit – who dominated last time out in China when Formula 1 last raced at the Shanghai International Circuit in 2019, winning six of the last eight Grands Prix – are going through lots of past Chinese Grand Prix data to help them be ready for the races’ return.
“It’s a good challenge that because not just have we not been there for a while, we’re straight into a sprint race and it’s also the new format where you’ve got two parc fermes, so a sprint qualifying and a sprint race, then an opportunity to change the car and then the main qualifying and the main race,” explained Shovlin to SkySports F1. “But we’re reviewing the historical data, now we’ve not been there with this generation of cars, so the tyres are different, the aerodynamics is very different, there’s a lot of work that we need to do, and the bulk of that work gets done in simulation, but there is also a bit of just re-reading old notes, looking at how the tyres were performing in terms of tyre wear, what was driving degradation to try and build that picture. But we’ve only got one hour of free practice before we’re going straight into that qualifying session so definitely a big challenge, but it’s quite fun and there’s good motivation to work on it because if you can get it right, the opportunities at a sprint race are always greater because someone else may have got it wrong.” Shovlin concluded. Credit to SkySports F1 for the quote.
Max Verstappen returns to Shanghai sitting on top of the Driver’s Championship with 77 points and a 13-point advantage over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who is second on 64 points while Charles Leclerc is a further 18 behind the Dutchman in third on 59 points.
Reigning Constructor’s Champions Oracle Red Bull Racing heads to China on top of the standings with 141 points and a 21-point lead over nearest rivals Ferrari who are second on 120 points whilst McLaren Formula 1 Team are a further 72 behind the Milton Keynes based-squad in third on 69 points.
2024 Chinese GP Preview – Formula 1 releases 2025 calendar
Last Friday, sport’s governing body, the FIA and Formula One jointly announced the release of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar, which will mark the 75th anniversary of the FIA Formula One World Championship. The calendar features 24 Grands Prix and will begin on the streets of Albert Park in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix on 16 March and conclude at the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 7 December. Ramadan will be throughout March in 2025, meaning the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GP’s will be staged in April.
The changes made to the 2024 campaign to create a better geographical flow of races have been carried over to the 2025 schedule, with the Japanese Grand Prix in April following Australia and the Chinese GP, followed by the European leg over the summer and the Americas during Autumn, before Qatar and Abu Dhabi conclude the season back-to-back.
President and CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali stated: “2025 will be a special year as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the FIA Formula One World Championship, and it’s that legacy and experience that allows us to deliver such a strong calendar. Once again, we’ll visit 24 incredible venues around the world, delivering top class racing, hospitality, and entertainment, which will be enjoyed by millions of fans worldwide. We’re grateful to the FIA, our promoters, host city partners, and all the related ASNs for their commitment and support in delivering this schedule and securing what promises to be another fantastic year for Formula 1. I would also like to pay tribute to our F1 teams and drivers, the heroes of our sport, and our fans around the world for continuing to follow Formula 1 with such incredible enthusiasm.” Domenicali concluded. Credit to the FIA for the quote.
President of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: “The 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar, approved by the World Motor Sport Council, is a further illustration of our collective mission of meeting sustainability objectives through the regionalisation of events. While our focus is on the overall stability of Formula 1, we also have a shared duty to the environment and to the health and well-being of travelling staff. Formula One Management, under the direction of Stefano Domenicali, have produced a calendar which strikes a good blend of traditional circuits and modern venues. We thank the host ASNs, the local organisers and the many thousands of FIA volunteers for their tireless efforts in making Formula 1 a truly global, mass audience spectacle as we prepare to celebrate the sport’s 75th year.” Sulayem concluded. Credit to FIA for the quote.
| March 14-16 | Australian Grand Prix | Melbourne |
| March 21-23 | Chinese Grand Prix | Shanghai |
| April 4-6 | Japanese Grand Prix | Suzuka |
| April 11-13 | Bahrain Grand Prix | Sakhir |
| April 18-20 | Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Jeddah |
| May 2-4 | Miami Grand Prix (USA) | Miami |
| May 16-18 | Emilia Romagna Grand Prix | Imola |
| May 23-25 | Monaco Grand Prix | Monaco |
| May 30 – June 1 | Spanish Grand Prix | Barcelona |
| June 13-15 | Canadian Grand Prix | Montreal |
| June 27-29 | Austrian Grand Prix | Spielberg |
| July 4-6 | British Grand Prix | Silverstone |
| July 25-27 | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa |
| August 1-3 | Hungarian Grand Prix | Budapest |
| August 29-31 | Dutch Grand Prix | Zandvoort |
| September 5-7 | Italian Grand Prix | Monza |
| September 19-21 | Azerbaijan Grand Prix | Baku |
| October 3-5 | Singapore Grand Prix | Singapore |
| October 17-19 | United States Grand Prix | Austin |
| October 24-26 | Mexican Grand Prix | Mexico City |
| November 7-9 | Brazilian Grand Prix | Sao Paulo |
| November 20-22 | Las Vegas Grand Prix (USA) | Las Vegas |
| November 28-30 | Qatar Grand Prix | Lusail |
| December 5-7 | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Yas Marina |
F1 Driver Market: Alonso agrees multi-year deal with Aston Martin
Last Thursday, after months of speculation, double world champion Fernando Alonso committed his future to Aston Martin on a multi-year deal.
The Spaniard joined the Silverstone based-outfit at the beginning of 2023and showed incredible speed and skill on many occasions.
After scoring eight podiums last season, Alonso remains as one of the fastest drivers in the sport and a force on the circuit.
Alonso stated: “There has been much said and written about my future in Formula One in the past few months, but today I’m delighted to announced that I’m here to stay with Aston Martin Aramco in a multi-year agreement,” explained Alonso. “I said at the start of the year that I would decide if I wanted to continue racing first and then sit down with the team. From the moment I joined the team in 2023 I felt extremely at home. In just over 15 months we have already achieved so much together, with some memorable podiums and battles. I am very grateful for the trust Lawrence, Martin and Mike have put in me and with Lance I am excited to see what else we can achieve together. This is only the beginning for this project, and I am proud to be part of it. I am at my physical best and still hungry. I will give my all as we continue our journey to become a world championship winning team.” Alonso concluded. Credit to Aston Martin for the quote.
Aston Martin Aramco Team Principal Mike Krack added: “Securing Fernando’s long-term future with Aston Martin Aramco is fantastic news. We have built a strong working relationship over the last 18 months, and we share the same determination to see this project succeed. We have been in constant dialogue over the last few months and Fernando has been true to his word when he decided he wanted to continue racing, he talked to us first. Fernando has shown he believes in us, and we believe in him. Fernando is hungry for success, driving better than ever, is fitter than ever, and is completely dedicated to making Aston Martin Aramco a competitive force. This multi-year agreement with Fernando takes us into 2026 when we begin our works power unit partnership with Honda. We look forward to creating more incredible memories and achieving further success together.” Krack concluded, credit to Aston Martin for the quote.
The Formula 1 Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix 2024 weekend kicks off Friday April 19 with Free Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying, the 100km Sprint Race and Qualifying Saturday April 20 and the 56 lap Chinese Grand Prix Sunday April 21.
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