China is back in Formula 1’s hands. Five years after celebrating F1’s 1000th Grand Prix, we return to Shanghai for Round 5 of the 2024 season and the 20th anniversary of the first-ever Chinese Grand Prix.

Landmarks such as the jaw-dropping Shanghai Tower, the beautiful Yu Gardens, and the water town of Zhujiajiao, known as the Venice of Shanghai, are just some of the landmarks that make Shanghai a must-visit.

Located in Shanghai’s Jiading district, the circuit features high and low-speed corners, tricky hairpins, and long straights, perfect for exhilarating racing. We've previously tasted success in China, but the weekend is likely to be unpredictable with the current spec of F1 cars yet to be tested on the circuit.

With Shanghai hosting its first Sprint weekend, which includes a refreshed format, there is plenty to get excited about. Here’s why we can’t wait…

1. A wild ride on the Shanghai rollercoaster

Opened in June 2004, Shanghai quickly gained a reputation as a fast but forgiving old-school-style circuit that tests cars and drivers.

The 5.451km lap starts with a long run to the swooping right-handed Turn 1 before braking hard into the slow Turns 2 and 3. Upon exit of Turn 3, a short straight follows, which leads onto Turn 4 and a flat right-hander, Turn 5, before braking hard into Turn 6.

On exit, the drivers tackle one of the finest sections of corners in F1: Turns 7 and 8, experiencing 4.3 lateral G-forces before jumping on the brakes for Turn 9.

It’s then back on the power for the exit of Turn 10, which follows a short blast up to Turns 11, 12, and 13, which are slightly banked and proceed a long back straight. The 1.2 km-long straight usually includes a DRS zone, which, with the added slipstream, makes it ideal for setting up and completing overtakes approaching the slow Turn 14 hairpin.

Getting the perfect exit from Turn 14 is critical for the run-up to the final corner, the fast right-hander Turn 16 before returning to the start-finish straight to complete the lap.

2. A trip into the unknown as we go sprinting

Five years after our last visit, we will return to China unsure of how the new generation of F1 cars will handle the circuit compared to their predecessors.

Adding to the challenge is the lack of track time available to gather data for the rest of the weekend, with only a solitary practice session before the renamed Sprint Qualifying. Like in 2023, the Sprint Qualifying will form the grid for the Sprint, but for 2024, it has been moved from Saturday morning to Friday afternoon.

At the end of Friday’s solitary practice session, the cars are placed into the first of two parc fermé periods, with set-up changes permitted before Sprint Qualifying. The second parc fermé period comes into effect ahead of Qualifying.

With the Sprint kicking off Saturday’s action, Qualifying returns to its traditional Saturday afternoon slot. Like in previous years, the top eight in the Sprint are awarded points, with the winner receiving eight points.

In 2023, our record in Sprint weekends was strong. Oscar took a stunning victory in Qatar and produced a spectacular drive in the rain in Belgium to finish second. Lando enjoyed success in the Sprints, securing second in Brazil behind Max Verstappen.

3. Seeing the passionate Chinese fans back in the stands

China is a nation of sports lovers and part of a rare club of seven countries that have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Even before our first race in 2004, F1 had a dedicated fanbase in China, with the fans' passionate support creating an atmosphere similar to that of races in Europe and Japan.

Sadly, due to health restrictions preventing us from entering the country, Chinese fans have been unable to get close to their heroes and have watched the last four seasons via the TV.

Fans from across China and neighbouring countries are expected to travel to Shanghai for the three days of action, and a sell-out crowd for Sunday’s race will add to the anticipation.

McLaren has a dedicated fan club in China, with members organising race watch-alongs and go-karting and producing bespoke banners and flags to cheer Lando and Oscar on.

4. Celebrating 20 years of racing in China

Although F1 has been racing in Asia since 1976 when the first Japanese GP took place at Fuji Speedway, China had to wait a bit longer before making its F1 debut.

McLaren’s then-reserve driver Philippe Alliot became the first of our F1 drivers to race in China, driving a Venturi in an International GT Endurance Series race held around the streets of Zhuhai in November 1994.

Zhuhai also became the site of China’s first permanent motor-racing facility in November 1996, with the circuit expected to host F1 before the decade's end. Unfortunately, despite securing a date to host the country’s maiden GP in March 1999, the race was cancelled in December 1998 due to organisational problems.

Five years after Zhuhai's false start, China finally welcomed the F1 circus for Round 16 of the 2004 championship, held on a weekend in late September. F1 arrived at an ultra-modern circuit, which included vast runoff areas and a state-of-the-art paddock area inspired by the Yu Gardens.

Our first outing in Shanghai was a successful one as Kimi Räikkönen drove an excellent race to finish a close third behind Jenson Button and race winner Rubens Barichello. But that’s far from our only memorable visit to China…

5. Returning to a happy hunting ground

There have been 15 previous editions of the Chinese GP, and we've won three of them, each with a unique back story.

After the heartbreak of losing victory in 2007, Lewis Hamilton returned to China with a chance of redemption and an opportunity to regain momentum in his title fight with Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

With the gap down to five points, Lewis rose to the occasion, taking pole by over three-tenths from Kimi and Massa. He followed up his superb pole position by producing a perfect race to win in Shanghai, banishing the memories of 2007 on course to claiming a dramatic maiden world title.

With rain forecast on race day in 2010, a cool head and a clever strategy would be vital to securing victory in China. When the rain did arrive, Jenson held his nerve and stayed on slicks, with his gamble bearing fruit as he vaulted into the lead after starting from fifth on the grid. Despite the Safety Car’s intervention, Jenson never relinquished control of the race and led Lewis home to secure McLaren’s first 1-2 finish since the 2007 Italian GP.

Victory in 2011 looked unlikely for Lewis after suffering a fuel problem on his way to the grid. Fortunately, the issue was rectified mere seconds before the pits closed, avoiding a pit lane start. With the bit between his teeth, Lewis, on a three-stop strategy, used his fresher rubber to power past Sebastian Vettel in the closing stages to take a dramatic victory, his first of the season.

Let us know why you're excited for the return of the Chinese Grand Prix using #FansLikeNoOther on X. Don't forget that you can follow all of the action with LIVE coverage on the McLaren App.