The Shanghai International Circuit has produced some iconic moments since the first Chinese GP in 2004, so here are five unforgettable incidents from the Formula 1 race.
F1 had sought to stage a Grand Prix in China since the 1990s and eventually found its way to the Land of the Dragon in the Jiading District. Organisers even hired Hermann Tilke to design a 5.4km (3.3m) purpose-built Formula 1 track that denotes the Chinese character of ‘Shang’.
Rubens Barrichello would also clinch the honour of being the first driver to win a Chinese GP with Ferrari in 2004. The Brazilian hero edged Kimi Raikkonen for pole position by only 0.166 seconds. He even only won by 1.035s to Jenson Button with Raikkonen 1.469s back for third.
Yet Barrichello’s measured victory in Shanghai by a tight margin does not break into our top five unforgettable Chinese GP moments. So, with that in mind, here are the most incredible incidents to unfold at the Shanghai International Circuit since Formula 1 first visited in 2004.
Michael Schumacher faced calamity at the 2005 Formula 1 Chinese GP
Formula 1 afforded the Chinese GP the right to host the season finale in 2005. But Fernando Alonso arrived in Shanghai as the drivers’ champion after taking the first of his back-to-back crowns with Renault at the Brazilian GP. Yet drama would still come all weekend in Shanghai.
The weekend started perfectly for Alonso as he earned pole position by 0.321 seconds to his teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella. But disaster awaited Michael Schumacher as the seven-time champion made his way to a P6 slot on the grid and crashed into Minardi’s Christijan Albers.
Albers was helpless to avoid Schumacher suddenly jinking to his left and wrote both cars off before the 2005 Chinese GP had started. Both drivers would start the race from the pit lane in their spare cars. But further disaster awaited Schumacher as he spun under the safety car.
Schumacher’s day ended after 22 of the 56 laps, to leave the German watching on as Alonso won by 4.015s to McLaren driver Raikkonen. It capped Alonso’s title-winning campaign with Raikkonen in second and Schumacher, who had the winter to rue his woes, finishing in third.
Michael Schumacher scored his last win in F1 at the 2006 Chinese GP
After spinning out of qualifying at the 2004 Chinese GP and spinning into the gravel in 2005, Schumacher finally left Shanghai with a happy memory in 2006. Yet round 16 of the 18-race season also yielded Schumacher’s final race win before he retired from F1 for the first time.
The German had announced at the 2006 Italian GP that he would retire following the end of his 11th season with the Scuderia. F1 then headed straight for Shanghai after Schumacher’s victory in Monza and saw the German stand atop the podium with a 3.121s lead to Alonso.
Renault had powered Alonso to pole position with Schumacher having to settle for just sixth place. But the German meticulously worked his way up the order, picking off Barrichello on Lap 8 and Button on Lap 14, after rain had soaked the Shanghai circuit right before the race.
The rain gifted Alonso a commanding advantage on Michelin tyres, rather than Bridgestones like Schumacher. But a drying surface swung the momentum toward the Ferrari legend as he destroyed what was a lead of more than 25 seconds following their initial round of pit stops.
Alonso and Renault mistakenly only chose to swap his front tyres after struggling for grip as the track dried. But Schumacher, who did not change any of his tyres, reeled in the Spaniard and eventually overtook his title rival on Lap 31 after Fisichella had snatched the lead away.
A change to dry tyres on Lap 35 ultimately let Alonso rediscover his pace. But a slow stop for a wheel nut problem left him exiting the pits in fourth place and almost a minute behind the lead. It was a deficit Alonso could not recover as Schumacher won for the 91st and last time.
Lewis Hamilton made a costly rookie blunder at the 2007 Chinese GP
McLaren rewarded Lewis Hamilton for winning the 2006 GP2 Series title by promoting him to Formula 1 in 2007. It put a rising star straight at the front of the grid and the F1 title was even in reach for the rookie. But he spurned match point in Shanghai with a costly rookie mistake.
Hamilton arrived at his first Chinese GP with the chance to secure the 2007 Formula 1 title. It marked the penultimate race and he led teammate Alonso by 12 points after winning the Japanese GP. So, Hamilton needed to finish within one point of Alonso and six of Raikkonen.
READ MORE: The most successful drivers at the Formula 1 Chinese GP of all time
Yet the win was on the cards when Hamilton secured pole position and managed his lead in wet conditions. But the drying surface ultimately cost the Briton as McLaren left him out on his original strategy. Hamilton’s rear tyres were down to the carcass when he, finally, pitted.
McLaren, ultimately, brought Hamilton in on Lap 30 once Raikkonen seized the lead. He was still in a position to take the title, though. But their hopes evaporated as Hamilton ran deep entering the pit lane and beached his car in the gravel for his first retirement as an F1 driver.
It took the title fight on to the 2007 Brazilian GP with Hamilton on 107 points, Alonso on 103 and Raikkonen on 100. But a gearbox issue saw Hamilton fall back and finish in P7 as the win in Sao Paulo gifted Raikkonen the drivers’ title on 110 points to Hamilton’s and Alonso’s 109.
Sebastian Vettel took Red Bull’s first win in F1 at the 2009 Chinese GP
BMW Sauber gave Sebastian Vettel his Grand Prix debut at the 2007 United States GP as an emergency stand-in driver. His time at Toro Rosso then yielded the German’s first win at the Italian GP in 2008. It came before Vettel won Red Bull their first race at the 2009 Chinese GP.
The regulations F1 introduced for 2009 suited Red Bull strongly but Brawn GP were the early pace-setters. Button stunned the world to hand the phoenix team the wins at the Australian GP and Malaysian GP. But Brawn GP were no match for Red Bull when F1 went to Shanghai.
Vettel sealed pole position for the 2009 Chinese GP with a 1:36.184 lap to deny Alonso, who returned to Renault and set a 1:36.381. But heavy rain drenched the Shanghai International Circuit for the race and Red Bull emerged as the cream of the crop to secure a one-two win.
It was a dominant result for the team from Milton Keynes as Vettel won by 10.970 seconds to teammate, Mark Webber. A further 34.005s margin also split Webber in second from third-place Button. Brawn GP’s Barrichello even came home in fourth place a minute off the lead.
Formula 1 celebrated the 1,000th Grand Prix at the 2019 Chinese GP
Formula 1 started at the 1950 British GP at Silverstone and celebrated its 1,00th race at the 2019 Chinese GP. The Shanghai International Circuit hosted the third round of the 21-race season and saw Hamilton get on the top step of the podium for the sixth time in Shanghai.
READ MORE: The most successful teams and engine providers at the Chinese GP
It was a straight fight between Mercedes teammates Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas for glory on F1’s landmark Chinese GP. Bottas even took the early advantage by securing pole by just 0.023s over Hamilton. But the Finn had a poor start and the Briton led into the first corner.
Bottas eventually finished 6.552s behind Hamilton as Mercedes secured a one-two finish. It was even their third one-two finish of the year, to mark the first time that a team achieved the feat since Williams in the 1992 season with drivers, Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese.
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