The China A1 Grand Prix
The Shanghai International Circuit, 20 miles from the centre of Shanghai, is considered the finest of the newly built racing circuits. It is the most expensive racing facility ever built and in 2004 held the first ever Formula One race in China, won by Rubens Barrichello.
The 3.4 mile circuit was designed by German Hermann Tilke, who has designed many of the new circuits built recently. The course offers 14 turns (seven left and seven right) and a 200mph back straight that leads directly into a hairpin, offering a great opportunity for overtaking, as it's wider than average. The opening sequence of corners has also proved popular. The track layout resembles the Chinese character ‘shang’ which means above, but according to Tilke this was purely coincidental.
The A1 race in 2006 was the season’s finale and saw Alex Yoong for Malaysia win the sprint race and Tomas Enge take victory in the main race for the Czech Republic, for both drivers it was their maiden victory on the A1 tour. The race was marred by a bust-up between Ireland’s Michael Devaney and Indonesia’s Ananda Mikola. Devaney has passed Mikola for seventh place but the Indonesia driver didn't back off leading to a collision and Devaney's car dramatically rolling, fortunately he emerged unscathed, and furiously blamed Mikola for the incident.
The ultra modern venue has room for 200,000 spectators and some excellent viewing of the racetrack, the facilities for spectators, teams, and drivers are excellent. The team offices sit on stilts above a water garden, making for an attractive setting.
Shanghai International Circuit is situated in the Jiading district, 12.5 miles from Hongqiao International Airport and around 20 miles north west of Shanghai city centre. The circuit is accessed by the Hu Ning and Jia Liu expressway, with a driving time of 40 minutes from the centre of Shanghai.