A completely resurfaced track and just one hour of free practice to determine if its characteristics have changed compared to the past. The 18th edition of the Chinese Grand Prix already presents particular challenges in the second race of the season, not only for teams and drivers but also for Pirelli. Last summer, a new layer of asphalt was laid on the track and pit lane of the Shanghai International Circuit, which has only been used a few times at the end of 2024 and is expected to be smoother than the previous one. This weekend marks the first event on the SIC calendar in 2025, so the track is expected to evolve rapidly.
Moreover, as was the case in 2024, Shanghai will again be the first Sprint event of the season, meaning only one free practice session on Friday. Teams will have just 60 minutes to find the best car setup and assess tire performance over long distances, although Saturday’s short race will still provide a good test for at least one compound.
The 2025 Tire Compounds
The selection of compounds remains the same as in 2024: C2 as Hard, C3 as Medium, and C4 as Soft. The latter two were used last weekend in Melbourne, while the first was extensively tested over three days in Bahrain at the end of February. However, compared to last year, all compounds have been redesigned, with the C2 being softer and therefore closer to the C3 than before.
An important factor to consider over the weekend will be temperatures. For the first time, Shanghai is hosting the Grand Prix in March, when average temperatures rarely exceed 18°C. However, forecasts for this week indicate a significant rise beyond 20°C starting Friday, with a peak of 26°C expected on Saturday. This is considerably warmer than usual and quite similar to the conditions recorded last year when the race was held in mid-April.
Minimum Tire Pressures (Dry Conditions)
Front: 26.5 psi
Rear: 23.0 psi
Maximum Camber
Front: -3.00°
Rear: -1.75°
How It Went in 2024
Three neutralizations (one VSC and two safety cars) significantly influenced the 2024 race, affecting both the number of pit stops (three drivers in the top ten made only one stop, six stopped twice, and one even three times) and the sequence of tire choices. Most of the grid started on the Medium compound, with the C3 being the most used stint tire (46%) but not the one with the highest total mileage, a record that went to the C2 (57%). The C4 also played a role: four drivers chose it for the start, and one (Fernando Alonso) completed his longest stint with the softest compound.
The Track
The Shanghai circuit is 5.451 km long and was designed to resemble the shape of the Chinese character “shang” (“upward”). The layout features a good mix of slow corners (such as Turns 1-3, 6, and 14) and fast corners (like the Turn 7-8 combination). There are two main straights: in addition to the start-finish straight, there is a long one connecting Turns 13 and 14, over a kilometer in length. There are two DRS zones, with the first extended by 75 meters compared to 2024.
The Key Word: Sprint Weekend
A Sprint weekend differs from a regular Grand Prix weekend as, after the opening free practice session, qualifying takes place on Friday afternoon, followed by a 100-kilometer race on Saturday morning, replacing two one-hour free practice sessions.
Qualifying is divided into three decreasing-duration segments: 12 minutes for SQ1, 10 for SQ2, and 8 for SQ3. The elimination format remains unchanged, with five drivers eliminated after the first two segments. In SQ1 and SQ2, the Medium compound is mandatory, while Softs must be used in SQ3. The tire choice for the Sprint race is free.
Compared to a traditional weekend, the slick tire allocation per driver changes: each has two sets of Hard tires as usual, but one additional Medium (from three to four) and two fewer Softs (from eight to six), for a total of 12 instead of 13.
Introduced in 2021 at Silverstone, the Sprint race has been held 18 times. The dominant driver on Saturdays has been Max Verstappen, with 11 victories. Shanghai will host a Sprint weekend for the second time; last year, Verstappen won again. In terms of tire choices, 19 drivers used a Medium set, while only George Russell gambled on Softs, which helped him gain three positions (from 11th to 8th).
Statistics
This race has been part of the World Championship since 2004 and has always been held on this circuit. Since that inaugural edition, won by Rubens Barrichello’s Ferrari, the Chinese GP has been on the calendar every year except for the 2020-2023 period.
The most successful driver in Shanghai is Lewis Hamilton, with six wins, who also leads in podium finishes (9). Only two other active drivers, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen, have won in China: the Spaniard twice (2005 and 2013) and the Dutchman last year. Among teams, Mercedes leads with six victories, two more than Ferrari. However, Ferrari holds the record for podium finishes (13), one more than Mercedes.
Off-Track News
The Chinese Grand Prix will introduce a new trophy for the pole position winner in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying. The trophy features a raised relief of the logo celebrating Pirelli’s 500th Grand Prix appearance, which will take place at the Dutch GP in Zandvoort. This logo was unveiled on February 18 during the F1 season launch event at London’s O2 Arena. The trophy will also be customized with a silver helmet and the driver’s TV graphics abbreviation, applied immediately after the session.
As in Melbourne last weekend, the top three finishers in Shanghai will wear a special edition of the Podium Cap, part of a collection designed by Denis Dekovic and inspired by the traditions and cultural identity of 14 countries hosting 2025 season races. The Shanghai Podium Cap will be red and is already available for purchase online on Pirelli’s platform.
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