Chinese Grand Prix

The Chinese Grand Prix will be greeting the ecstatic crowd of Shanghai after many years as the famous race makes a return to the Formula 1 calendar. The race is going to remain on the Formula 1 calendar until 2025 but it was dropped off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which badly disrupted China.

It is one of the trickiest circuits right from the Turn 1 which features a 270 degree corner combination with decreasing radius. China is a special race for Mercedes, one of the most successful teams in the modern era of Formula 1. The Mercedes team won a race after 1955 finally proving its presence in the sport.

The Chinese GP will debut Formula 1’s new format for Sprint Racing. It will be a golden chance for the newer driver, Zhou Guanyu to show off his skills in front of the home crowd while racing Stake F1.

Albeit, the conditions for Guanyu are adverse as Stake hasn’t shown any glimpse of points scoring performance so far. The 2024 Formula 1 season has become a familiar playground for the defending champion, Max Verstappen.

Red Bull has shown some hint of worries which may disrupt their campaign in the upcoming races and Ferrari’s free agent, Carlos Sainz is on his own spree to achieve marvelous results for the Maranello team even though he has an uncertain future in the sport next year.

Chinese Grand Prix History

The Chinese GP was supposed to happen in the late 1990s. However, the proposed track in Zhuhai failed to meet FIA’s standards leading to a pause in China’s ambitions. Later on, the Shanghai International Circuit made its debut on the Formula 1 calendar with the Chinese GP event. The first race in 2004 was won by Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello.

The following year it crowned Fernando Alonso as a world champion for the first time. The 2006 Chinese GP marked its name in history as the last Formula 1 win for the great, Michael Schumacher. The last Chinese GP, held in 2019 was won by Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes W11.

Chinese Grand Prix 2024 Schedule

The Chinese GP is scheduled on Sunday 21st, April at 3:00 PM track time. The Qualifying session for the main race will be held on Saturday at 3:00 PM track time. The Sprint race will take place on Saturday Morning from 11:00 AM track time, giving the drivers another chance at scoring points before the main event takes place. The Sprint race will last 19 laps taking around one hour and the main race will last for 56 laps taking 120 mins to complete.

Chinese Grand Prix 2024 Venue

The Shanghai International Circuit is a 5.4 kms long Formula 1 circuit designed by F1 maestro Herman Tilke. It was designed after China’s previous circuit failed to gain Formula 1’s approval.

The track is considered to be of moderate to high difficulty. It has 16 turns and two DRS zones along the straights. The lap record for the Chinese GP is held by none other than Michael Schumacher who set a time of 1:32.238 in the 2004 Formula 1 season.

Chinese Grand Prix 2024 Drivers Standings

The drivers standings before the Chinese Grand Prix is led by “Super” Max Verstappen. The Red Bull duo of Verstappen and Checo Perez has taken over the lead with Perez trailing Max Verstappen by 13 points.

Drivers with most number of wins in the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix

While Michael Schumacher may be the fastest around the circuit, the record for most wins at the Chinese GP is currently held by Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton. He has won the race 6 times. The rest of the events were won by his ex-teammates, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg twice. Courtesy of Hamilton and Rosberg, Mercedes have managed to win the race six times making them the best constructors at the Chinese GP.

Where to watch the Chinese Grand Prix 2024?

The Chinese GP will be broadcast on different channels worldwide. The fans and spectators can keep track of the races online via Formula 1 TV, however they will be required to pay for its subscription service. These services will also provide driver radios and live telemetry data. Here is a list of broadcasters in different countries:

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