Track Information

Having a grand prix in China is a dream come true for Bernie and Max. The same can be said for China, which has spent over nine years trying to get on the F1 calendar. Like the new Bahrain circuit, the track in Shanghai has been built from scratch. It's not been an easy ride though. Designer Hermann Tilke was faced with a site that was a 300m-deep swamp and very flat. The load on the soil would be too heavy to take so the entire track foundation is made out of polystyrene and built on 40,000 piles of 40m to 80m deep. Like many of Tilke's designs, the German tries to incorporate features and symbolism of the country - in this case the track itself is shaped like the sign of 'Shang', which means 'rising'. Fans will be pleased to hear the track has several overtaking opportunities, that's the view of Jenson Button, who has visited the track under construction. The only doubt among some is the infrastructure in and around Shanghai and the culture shock to the teams of the country itself. The business it will generate though is sure to outweigh any difficulties.