An especially important race for corporate clients, the Shanghai International Circuit, Jiading, located on the outskirts of Shanghai, is in its penultimate year of a seven-year renewal signed between the Shanghai Sports Bureau and Formula One Management in 2011.
Despite the megopolis of Shanghai spreading further outwards towards the circuit, it is still a very difficult destination for race-goers to reach. Last year’s race may have attracted a crowd of 145,000 over the weekend, but several grandstands at the vast Shanghai International Circuit were covered in tarpaulin, and left unused. Low crowds and a fee, reported to be amongst the highest paid to host a race, have led to continual annual losses.
The decision on any extension will be preceded by a careful evaluation of Formula One's benefits by the local government. Yang Yibin, the marketing manager of Juss Event, the local company which promotes the Grand Prix on the government's behalf, suggested in 2015 that the draw of Formula One is not what it once was.
“There are various reasons, like one team dominating several seasons; smaller teams finding it hard to challenge the bigger constructors,” he said. “The races are not as brilliant as they were a decade ago.”
Though there is a perceived hesitance over a potential renewal on the part of Shanghai Sports Bureau, Repucom’s Nigel Geach believes that it is imperative that racing in China continues. “Whatever anyone says about China, it is an important market, not just from a commercial point of view,” he says. “It is important for Europe to be racing in China and the Chinese have got to be educated in lots of sports, other than motorsports.”
Built at a cost of US$240 million in time for its debut in the 2004 season, the extraordinarily modern circuit is dominated by a vast main grandstand and pit complex. The track boasts a distinctive long right-hander at the beginning of the lap and magnificent straight where the drivers are flat out for almost 1.4 kilometres.
The vast capacity of 200,000 people and cavernous stands can create a bad image of the race, even if the crowds are large. Italian tyre firm Pirelli will continue as tittle sponsor, after taking over last year when long-standing backers of the race, UBS, withdrew.
Despite the empty grandstands, Shanghai has built a name for itself as a good racing circuit. Famed. “They do a good job,” says Geach. “Fantastic facilities for the teams, very modern, and a lot of space in the paddock and on the circuit too.”