Getting to and from the Chinese Grand Prix Circuit
The Shanghai International Circuit is located about 40 minutes’ drive north west of Shanghai's city center. It is well-connected by road, but other transportation options might be limited. It is best to assume that taxi drivers do not speak English. Make sure you always have your destination name/address and name of your hotel written in Chinese with you, otherwise you will not be able to get anywhere or in the worst case, get back to your hotel!
There are many highways surrounding Shanghai International Circuit, connecting it efficiently to Shanghai and other nearby cities. The Jia Liu Expressway passes right by the main entrance of the circuit, connecting it to the city of Shanghai, as well as other major expressways, such as the A12 (Shanghai-Jiading-Liuhe), A11 (Shanghai-Nanjing) and A5 (Jiading-Jinshan). Shanghai itself is encircled by three ring roads: the inner ring road, outer ring road and suburban ring road. All of these ring roads connect easily to the Jia Liu Expressway that leads to the circuit. Shanghai International Circuit is 15 minutes from the outer ring road and five minutes from the northern part of the suburban ring road. However, unless you have had experience driving in China, it is not recommended to drive yourself. Either hire a car with a driver or use a taxi.
There is also a fast light-rail traffic R3 planned, to connect the downtown of Shanghai and Jiading New Area and International Automobile City in Anting. Several stations will be set up near the Shanghai International Circuit, but to date it is not clear if these are already operational. Please check prior to the race with organisers, to see if the light-rail train is running or not and where the stations are located.
For international travellers, there are two airports in Shanghai that service both domestic and international flights: Hong Qiao Airport and Shanghai Pudong Airport. Geographically, Hong Qiao Airport is closer to the circuit, being located to the west of Shanghai. However, recently more and more carriers have been switching to Shanghai Pudong Airport that opened in 1999 and international service may be limited. Distance to the racing circuit is 30 minutes by car from Hong Qiao Airport. Shanghai Pudong Airport is located southeast of the city center and about 50 minutes by car from the racing circuit. Buses may be organised to the circuit for the Grand Prix weekend, from both airports, but please confirm this with the race organisers. The best and least stressful way to get anywhere is by taxi, as long as you have your destination written in Chinese.