Formula 1 returns to the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend for the first Chinese Grand Prix since 2019. To mark the occasion, we’ve gone back in time and selected some of the most memorable moments in the event’s history since it took place. its debut on the calendar in 2004…
2005: Schumacher caught in pre-race accident
Seven-time world champion and with a series of records behind him, Michael SchumacherTrump’s first two visits to China fell far short of his lofty expectations.
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After crashing out of qualifying and failing to score points in the 2004 race, the Ferrari driver faced even bigger trouble the following year when he was involved in a freak collision with Minardi’s Christijan Albers on the way to the grid.
Schumacher had been inching forward from Turn 4 to Turn 5 when he crossed the track and into the path of the rapidly approaching Albers, causing all sorts of damage to both cars and forcing them to carry their spare parts.
Things went from bad to worse for Schumacher during the race, and the stewards reprimanded him for his actions before he tripped on the gravel behind the safety car.
2006: Schumacher’s last victory in Formula 1
The third time was the charm for Schumacher in 2006 when, in the midst of a fierce title battle with rival Renault, Fernando Alonsoscored a spectacular victory in Shanghai.
Fresh from cutting into Alonso’s points lead with his win and the Spaniard’s retirement at Monza, Schumacher was determined to maintain the momentum and tilt the title race in his favor ahead of the final two rounds in Japan and Brazil.
Initially it looked like Alonso would get the job done on race day, with initially wet conditions more favorable to the Michelin racers than the Bridgestones, but as the weather improved and the track dried, the match shifted back to Schumacher.
At the end of it all, Schumacher led Alonso home by just over three seconds in what would prove to be his 91st and final F1 victory, with the young Spaniard pipping the retired German veteran to that year’s crown.
2007: Drama for Hamilton in his rookie season
There would be more drama in China a year later as a rookie Lewis Hamilton He arrived looking to defend his championship lead over his McLaren teammate Alonso, who had made the switch from Renault, and Ferrari. Kimi raikkonen.
Hamilton wowed during his debut season, taking a host of pole positions, wins and podiums, but the penultimate round of that year upended the title race with one of the most dramatic moments in Chinese Grand Prix history. .
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The race had started well for Hamilton, who pulled away from pole position in the wet and looked set to extend his points lead, only for his tires to suffer when the rain stopped and the track dried out: the right rear finally wore out. . The canvas.
Hamilton was eventually called to the pits to change a set of tires, but disaster struck when he went too deep into the entry, slid into the gravel trap and ended his race right there. Indeed, he gave the victory to Raikkonen, who also took the title from him.
2009: first Red Bull pole, victory and double
An entirely new set of technical regulations for the 2009 season saw Brawn GP, which had taken over Honda’s canceled effort, emerge as the class of the field with a design spearheaded by its clever dual diffuser innovation.
It meant Operation Brackley and Jenson Button He took victory in six of the first seven races, with Rubens Barrichello supporting the Briton to achieve a double in three of those weekends.
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The problem occurred at the Shanghai International Circuit, where Red Bull fought its way to first and third place on the grid with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in the dry and took a one-two ahead of Button in heavy rain on race day.
It marked the first of Red Bull’s 99 pole positions and 116 wins to date and, although they narrowly missed out on championship glory that year after putting pressure on Brawn, their first titles were just around the corner – a run of four consecutive doubles from 2010 to 2013.
2012: First victory of the new era full of Mercedes trophies
After Red Bull truly marked its arrival in F1 in China in 2009, it was Mercedes’ turn to do so at the 2012 event through an emphatic display of Nico Rosberg.
Mercedes had previously competed in F1 during the 1950s, winning many races and a couple of drivers’ titles with Juan Manuel Fangioonly to retire from motor sport after the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans disaster.
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Fast forward to 2010 and, having already returned to F1 as an engine supplier, Mercedes decided the time was right to make a full-scale return, taking over the aforementioned Brawn and signing an all-German lineup with the return of the world champion Schumacher. and rising star Rosberg.
A couple of years after that return, Rosberg mastered the Pirelli tires in Shanghai to achieve a sensational pole lap and then double up with a commanding victory a day later, giving the Silver Arrows the first pole and victory of their return.
Much more, as we now know, was to come for Mercedes when F1’s turbo-hybrid era began in 2014…
2019: 1000th Formula 1 Grand Prix
F1 celebrated a milestone with the celebration of the Chinese Grand Prix in 2019, when the country hosted the 1,000th race in the great history of this sport.
It came just under 69 years after the first meeting at Silverstone in 1950, a year that saw seven rounds (mostly held in Europe) compared to 21 held around the world up to 2019, highlighting how much progress has been made. expanded and diversified the calendar. Through the years.
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It was a straight fight between Mercedes teammates Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas throughout the weekend, starting with the Finn taking pole by just 0.023 seconds before the Briton pounced at the start and never looked back to take the checkered flag for six and a half. Half a second.
Now, after a five-year absence, China and the popular Shanghai venue return to the F1 lineup for what promises to be another action-packed Sprint weekend.