Formula 1 returns to Shanghai for the first time since 2019 this year, so F1 Oversteer has looked at which teams tend to fare well in the Chinese GP since the first in 2004.
The Shanghai International Circuit located in the Jiading District has hosted Formula 1 Grand Prix for the past two decades. But the series stayed away from the circuit from 2020 to 2023 owing to China’s strict Covid regulations. F1 sought to stage a race each year but to no avail.
Just a select few F1 teams have ever won the Chinese GP across the previous editions of the Grand Prix. Similarly, only a select few engine manufacturers have also powered the winning team in Shanghai. Ferrari were the first team and engine manufacturer to win a Chinese GP.
Ferrari won the first Chinese GP with Rubens Barrichello in 2004
Brazilian hero Rubens Barrichello won Ferrari the Chinese GP when F1 first visited the circuit that Hermann Tilke designed. He secured pole position from Kimi Raikkonen with a 1:34.012 lap. But Barrichello beat Jenson Button by just 1.035 seconds to win the Chinese GP in 2004.
A mere 1.469 seconds even split the top three with Raikkonen rounding out the first podium at a Chinese GP. It was Barrichello’s only win in Shanghai but the first of many for Ferrari. Yet no team has won the Chinese GP more often than Mercedes thanks to F1’s turbo-hybrid era.
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Mercedes registered their first Grand Prix victory since returning to F1 in 2010 through Nico Rosberg at the 2012 Chinese GP. It was also the German’s first Grand Prix win, which he took from pole position. But Lewis Hamilton later helped Mercedes to dominate the Chinese GP.
Now, Mercedes are the most successful Formula 1 team at the Chinese GP and Hamilton is also the most successful driver at the Chinese GP so far. The Silver Arrows’ power units are even the most dominant engines in Shanghai with five more wins than any manufacturer.
Mercedes are the most successful F1 team at the Chinese GP
While Ferrari won the first Chinese GP back in 2004, a Scuderia driver has only got atop the podium in Shanghai three times since. Formula 1’s turbo-hybrid power unit era since 2014 also moved Mercedes to the top of the tree as the most successful team at the Chinese GP.
Mercedes have secured six wins in Shanghai ahead of the 2024 Chinese GP with Rosberg in 2012 and 2016 plus Hamilton in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019. Michael Schumacher (2006), Raikkonen (2007) and Fernando Alonso (2013) secured Ferrari their wins after Barrichello.
Mercedes are the most successful engine manufacturer at the Chinese GP
Mercedes’ dominance of Formula 1 between 2014 and 2020 thanks to the turbo-hybrid era also saw the Silver Arrows become the most successful engine manufacturer in Shanghai. In addition to their wins, Mercedes powered McLaren to the top step in 2008, 2010 and 2011.
Only Ferrari have won the Chinese GP with engines from the Maranello natives. While Red Bull secured the win at the Chinese GP using Renault power in 2009 and 2018. Their win in 2018 came whilst using a TAG Heuer-branded turbo-hybrid power unit which Renault built.
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