This unique circuit, designed to mirror the Chinese character for “Shang”, features long straights with solid overtaking opportunities, as well as sweeping corners that demand harsh braking and expert racecraft to make the most of. Two-stop strategies are set to be dominant, with undercuts often proving powerful on this track. Which team will make F1’s return to Shanghai a triumphant one?
The track is under a safety car following Bottas’s retirement and Alpine needs to act. Ocon and Gasly are both on hards, but every team will be looking at their strategy charts to make the most of this opportunity. Now, Alpine will need to do whatever it takes to get ahead of veterans Ricciardo and Hülkenberg to make the return to Shanghai a success.
Suggested car setup and attribute focus for the Shanghai International Circuit:
- Medium speed cornering is crucial
- Focusing on top speed and low speed cornering is also recommended
- Favours cars with stats focused on power
Shanghai will be your first taste of the Sprint format in the 2024 season, bringing with it new opportunities to gain points, but even less room for errors.
- The Sprint format means you’ll only have a single practice session for the weekend, so it’s important to get it right on the first attempt.
- Consistency can be the key to success at Shanghai, so most strategies will call for the use of medium and hard tyres over the lesser durability of softs.
- Most strategies for the GP will call for two pit stops, but with a 25 second average pit time a lot of momentum can be lost, so be sure to time it well.