The Shanghai International Circuit, home to this weekend’s second round of the 2017 Formula One World Championship season, is totally different from the season opening venue at Albert Park in Melbourne and as such it will test the all-round performance of the cars, so we should be able to see a truer measure of the relative performance of the individual cars with the new regulations.
It is a great track with some demanding high-speed corners and a long back straight which is traditionally good for overtaking and along with the sweeping turns really tests aerodynamic performance. However, this means that the cars need to set-up in such a way to ensure that speed can be carried onto the straight.
The back straight is a great place for overtaking, but this is not the only opportunity. The layout’s demanding corners test the Pirelli tyre whilst fans cheer on their heroes in the 24,000 capacity grandstand. The first sequence of corners have been described as one of the hardest in Formula One as fast entry speeds are quickly discarded under heavy breaking due to a tightening track for almost 270° before quickly changing direction.
For Williams driver Felipe Massa, who was not meant to be racing here this season will use this weekend’s event to fully understand where the team sits in the Championship in order to address the challenges for the remainder of the season with the team’s continued aim to improve and make progress.
“It’s always nice to go to China,” he said. “I really like the track. It has a very old style, with many high speed corners and one of the longest straights in Formula One. It’s definitely a fun track to drive. I also love the Chinese fans. They have a lot of love, and whenever I leave my hotel they’re always outside waiting! So I’m really looking forward to seeing them all again.”
