AT&T Williams F1

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 set-up 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 another riveting round of the Championship.

Shanghai International Circuit: Technical Information
Kilos per lap: 2.42kg/km
Time loss per 5km of fuel: 0.07s/lap of fuel
Vmax: 306kph
Average speed: 204kph
Average corner speed: 129kph
Turn angle: 136 degrees
Temperatures: Ambient 26C / Track 32C
Greatest power reductions: 1014 mbar pressure
Pitlane loss: 21.0 sec lost
Pitlane length: 380m
Safety cars: 0.7 per race

Circuit Statistics Legend
Kilos per lap: This indicates the amount of fuel required to complete a lap of each circuit normalised for a 5km lap, thereby indicating the relative fuel demands of each circuit.

Time loss per 5km of fuel: This metric indicates the relative penalty at each circuit of carrying 5km of fuel.

Vmax: The highest top speed at each circuit, one variable in the aero map for each track profile.

Average speed: Velocity averaged over the circuit distance, another variable in determining the aero map.

Average corner speed: In contrast to Vmax which indicates highest speeds achieved normally on the longest straight of the circuit, average corner speed indicates the aggregated speeds through all corners on any given circuit, providing an insight to the nature of the circuit profile.

Turn angle: Average turn angle indicates the average angle of a circuit's corners expressed in degrees. The higher the average turn angle, the more acute the corners in the circuit's configuration and the greater propensity for understeer to compromise lap time.

Temperatures: Average ambient and track temperatures have a bearing on many variables, from tyre warm-up to significant car cooling requirements. And if you need to open the bodywork for cooling, you have to consider the potential drag penalties.

Greatest power reductions: Air density has a bearing on engine power and the most influential factor in air density is air pressure, determined by the elevation above sea level.

Pitlane loss: The time lost (excluding stationery time) entering and exiting the pitlane, providing an indication of not just the pitlane length, but also its profile.

Pitlane length: The entry to exit distance of each pitlane.

Safety cars: A variety of past statistics indicates the likelihood of the safety car's possible intervention.