Chinese GP track analysis: key technical compromise in sole Shanghai free practice session

Formula 1 is ready to return to China at the Shanghai circuit, one of the “historic” tracks of the championship. Let’s discover the 5.451-kilometre Shanghai International Circuit circuit of China in our track analysis.

Five years after its last appearance on the F1 calendar, the fastest cars are ready to land in China for the 5th event of the 2024 season. Over five seasons, cars and data from 2019 have become “obsolete”. However, the track and braking zones have remained unchanged, with some modifications to the asphalt due to aging. In this track analysis, we’ll explore the “new” Shanghai circuit, home to the Chinese Grand Prix.

Spanning 5.451 km, it features 16 corners, many of which have low-speed passages, while others are rather fast. A mix that will require a compromise setup between stiffness and softness, useful to avoid overloading the tires. These will be a fundamental component of the weekend. For the Chinese weekend, Pirelli has chosen to bring the mid-range compounds, namely C2, C3, and C4, but since 2019, a lot has changed.

Nominaly, it’s the same selection as in 2019, but the scenario is very different. Five years ago, 13-inch tires were still in use, mounted on the previous generation of cars, which had a flat floor and aerodynamics completely different from the current ones. In fact, for the drivers, teams, and Pirelli, it’s like starting from scratch, as references are very vague. To further complicate matters, as we know, there will be the Sprint format weekend, which includes only one free practice session.

Therefore, it will be crucial to evaluate the tire behavior in the 60 minutes of practice, both over long and short distances. Additionally, teams will need to consider the evolution of the track, which will be significantly important. This will allow teams to evaluate setups more focused on pure performance without sacrificing race pace. It’s crucial to start with the right setup from the first outing, achieved through simulator work. The aerodynamic setup should include wings with a medium load, similar to what was seen in Melbourne, to best reconcile low and medium-high speed corners. Important is the ride height in corner 13, a fast right turn with some banking.

In terms of brakes, Brembo will be challenged in a few points, with a maximum stress peak in corner 14. Here, the cars can reach about 320 km/h of maximum speed before dropping to 72 km/h in just over 100 meters. According to Brembo data, the braking power developed is 2,450 kW for a deceleration of 4.7 G.