R2 – Tyre Selection

We are back once again as we return to China, which is the first Sprint race weekend of the season.

The Shanghai track is 5.451 kilometres long and its layout is based on the Chinese character “shang” meaning “upwards” or “above”.
The circuit features several slow corners, such as the first three, turn 6 and 14 and high speed corners like the combination from 7 to 8.

There are two long straights, the one that crosses the start-finish line and another between turns 13 and 14, which is over a kilometre in length.

Last summer, a new surface was laid down on the track and the pit lane at the Shanghai International Circuit. It has only been used a few times towards the end of 2024 and should be smoother than before, but it’s logical to expect the track to evolve very quickly.

The trio of compounds chosen are the same as last year, C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium) and C4 (Soft). The last two were in use in Melbourne last weekend, while the first as run extensively during the three day test in Bahrain.

Another important factor to consider this weekend will be the temperatures.
It’s the first time that Shanghai hosts the Grand Prix in March when average temperatures rarely exceed 18°C.

There were three interruptions last year – one VSC and two Safety Cars – which significantly influenced the outcome of the race, both in terms of the number of stops and the sequence in which the compounds were used.

Three of the drivers who finished in the top ten made just one stop, six pitted twice and one even three times.
The majority of the drivers opted to line up on the grid on the medium tyre, which also completed the most stints.