CHINESE GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
Shanghai International Circuit, China
Resembling the Chinese symbol for “high”, Shanghai’s
track layout is a demanding mix of straights, turns and hairpins.
Over the 5.4km lap, the drivers will negotiate seven left-
and seven right hand turns, the tightest of which being turn
one, entered into flat out but exited in second as the corner
squeezes tighter and tighter before a left-hander into turn
two. With so many slow and medium speed corners over one lap,
the car must have a perfect balance, achieved through an efficient
aero package. Although dominated by corners, Shanghai also
has two long straights (the longest being between turns 13
and 14 which stretches to 1,175m) which will see drivers reach
speeds of 327km/h and raise the average lap speed to 205km/h.
The engineers must, therefore, provide a setup which also
offers high top speeds and low drag levels without compromising
the cornering stability. Similar to Istanbul Park, the track
at Shanghai measures, on average, between 13 and 15 metres
in width (20 metres at turn 13) so offers ample room for overtaking
manoeuvres and the perfect setting for a riveting penultimate
round of the Championship.
The Far East stays in the spotlight this weekend as China
hosts the second leg of the Asian back-to-back on Sunday 7th
October. The penultimate round of the season will see Formula
One roar into life at another of Hermann Tilke’s signature
tracks, where nature and technology reside in harmony to create
one of the most unparalleled facilities on the calendar. China’s
oriental charm is proudly showcased across the complex’s
infrastructure, from the circuit’s “Shang”
layout to the team’s offices which rise out of a lake
on stilts. In the north-west suburbs of the city, the circuit
is still in its infancy with this year’s race being
only its fourth appearance since its debut in 2004. As rain
is predicted for much of the weekend, the Chinese Grand Prix
promises to be as thrilling as its predecessor in Japan but,
with fourth place still in contention, the AT&T Williams
team will be working towards a strong points-scoring finish.
Nico Rosberg
Shanghai is a very good track and it should suit our car
quite well. It’s also a great city, so I’m looking
forward to a very pleasant weekend, both on and off the track.
I hope we can continue our current form that we’ve demonstrated
in the last few races because it’s now really important
that we keep Red Bull Racing behind us in the Constructors’
Championship. Before going to Shanghai, I will be in Hong
Kong for a couple of days for some marketing commitments for
our partners, RBS and Oris.
Alex Wurz
I remember the Shanghai track very well from last year when
I had an awesome time as Williams F1’s Friday driver
posting the quickest times during both practice sessions.
The layout of the track should suit our car and my driving
style, so I’m going there with high hopes for a good
result for the penultimate Grand Prix of the season. From
a set-up perspective, the track has all sorts of criteria.
The long straight obviously demands low downforce, but the
rest of the track doesn’t, so the best option is to
go for a compromise between mechanical and aerodynamic settings.
Just talking about it makes me want to be there driving it
already!
Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1
Due to the continual directional changes of the infield section,
we run a high rear wing level at Shanghai. There is, however,
a very long straight where top speed is important so that
has to be considered in our set-up plans although, compared
to other tracks, the car’s mechanical set-up is not
taken to any extremes.
China normally demands a two-stop race strategy. There were
quite variable weather conditions last season and, according
to the most recent forecasts, that may again be the case at
this year’s race which will certainly make things interesting!
After the result in Japan, we are looking to get back into
the points at the Chinese Grand Prix and strengthen our fourth
position in the Constructors’ Championship.
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