2007 CHINESE GRAND PRIX SHANGHAI
PREVIEW
After a challenging Japanese Grand Prix at the rain-soaked
Fuji Speedway on Sunday, the Honda Racing F1 Team's attentions
now move to the penultimate race of the 2007 FIA Formula One
World Championship with the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai
International Circuit this weekend.
SHUHEI NAKAMOTO - Senior Technical Director
"After such a strong qualifying performance at Fuji on
Saturday, we were extremely disappointed that we were unable
to convert this into a points-scoring position in the race.
We move to China now and hope for better things at the Shanghai
International Circuit. This is a very technical track which
places great emphasis on driver skill and car stability. Our
drivers are looking forward to the challenge. We have some
new developments from our recent test in Jerez and hope that
we will be able to end the season on a stronger note and with
a point or two."
JENSON BUTTON
"The Shanghai circuit is a demanding one for the drivers
and quite technical but it is also fun to drive. The length
of the corners, particularly turn one which is tough on the
neck, is quite something and you have to remember to breathe
as you go round the lap. In turns seven/eight/nine the g-forces
are so high that you are unable to breathe. There are a few
good overtaking opportunities, particularly going into turn
one and then at the banked entry onto the back straight which
is very unique to this circuit and presents the ability to
take a number of lines onto the straight itself."
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"Shanghai is a fantastic race venue with impressive facilities
and an exciting modern track layout. I won the very first
Grand Prix here in 2004 so it holds some good memories for
me. The combination of long straights and low/medium speed
corners makes for a challenging technical layout with the
main feature being the length of some of the corners. The
complex including turn one is fairly tricky with a combination
of hard braking and lateral acceleration."
SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
No of Laps 56 laps
Circuit Length 5.400 km
Race Distance 305.066 km
The Chinese Grand Prix made its debut on the Formula One
calendar in 2004 to universal acclaim of the hugely impressive
facilities. Designed by Hermann Tilke, the Shanghai International
Circuit is built on three square kilometres of reclaimed marshland,
and can seat up to 200,000 people.
The 5.400 km track is shaped like the Chinese character 'shang'
which stands for 'high' or 'above'. It comprises seven left
and seven right turns with several overtaking opportunities,
in particular at the multi-apex turn one and at the end of
the back straight. Average speeds are approximately 200 kph,
with the cars reaching their maximum speeds down the back
straight which stretches for over a kilometre in length between
turns thirteen and fourteen.
HONDA IN CHINA
* Honda has over 20 locations in China with automotive, motorcycle
and power product plants, plus sales and R&D sites
* Honda produces the Accord, Odyssey, Fit (Jazz), CR-V and
Civic
in China
* Sales of the new CR-V, introduced in April 2007 and produced
by
Dongfeng Honda, have been strong
* Dongfeng Honda will shortly begin the import and sale of
the
Civic Hybrid
* Honda's total automobile production capacity in China is
530,000
units per year
|
