Formula 1 returns to Shanghai after a five-year absence: the series finds a track that hasn’t changed much except for being more uneven than last time. Ground effect cars debut at the Chinese GP, and no telemetry data is replicable for today’s cars. Adding to the complexity, Shanghai hosts the first of six Sprint events planned for the 2024 season.
Diego Ioverno, the Scuderia’s sporting director, explains what will change compared to previous weekend formats with the sprint race…
“The main difference from last year is the revised sequence of sessions, designed to be more linear and understandable for spectators. There will be only one free practice session followed by the sprint part of the weekend (Sprint Shootout on Friday afternoon and Sprint Race on Saturday morning). From Saturday afternoon, we return to a standard weekend format with qualifying and the race.”
“Changing the session schedule also allowed splitting the parc fermé into two separate blocks (SS + SR and Q+R), giving teams the chance to repair and modify cars if needed after the two Sprint sessions. However, it’s crucial to consider that any action taken must be carefully considered since parc fermé rules apply again at the start of the next session.”
The 49-year-old Italian engineer also highlights other aspects of the Chinese weekend, which will also characterize other Sprint races…
“Another difference this year is the possibility, in case of damage or serious reliability issues, to request a chassis replacement between the Sprint Race and qualifying, even though they are on the same day. To be able to attempt this change if necessary, thorough preparation at both team and component levels is essential.”
Formula 1 returns to Shanghai after five years. Here, second-generation ground-effect cars make their debut. What challenge does having only one free practice session to get familiar with the circuit pose?
“Choosing to have a Sprint weekend in Shanghai is certainly a big challenge for everyone involved, after five years and with completely different cars in terms of performance and usage. Drivers, teams, FIA, and organizers will have only one session to confirm what has been prepared or identify unexpected differences and take necessary actions for the next session – the Sprint Shootout – which will already be competitive. Preparatory work, capability, and reaction speed will be crucial.”
What are the characteristics of this track, and which aspects will be most prominent?
“It’s very difficult to predict how the new cars and drivers will adapt to the Shanghai track. It’s a very demanding circuit with various technical contents. The first sector with the sequence of corners 1-2-3 was extremely challenging with previous-generation cars, and it’s reasonable to think it will be even more so with the current ones. It will also be crucial to assess the state of the asphalt and any depressions or bumps, which are the most critical aspects for ground-effect cars.”
Ferrari usually stands out for bringing a well-prepared car to tackle the single free practice session: perhaps Shanghai will offer the Prancing Horse another chance to put pressure on Red Bull…
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