The first Sprint of the season in Shanghai

The first Sprint weekend will take place in Shanghai. At the second round of the championship, as happened last year, the first of six 19-lap short races scheduled for 2026 will be held on Saturday.

The tyre selection for the Chinese Grand Prix weekend remains unchanged since the circuit returned to the championship calendar two years ago. Teams will use C2, C3 and C4 to tackle the 5.451 kilometre track.

The Shanghai International Circuit, whose layout resembles the shangideogram meaning "upward", features two main straights and sixteen corners. The first straight connects Turn 13 (slightly banked) to Turn 14, while the second, over one kilometre long, hosts the starting grid.

Some corners are very fast, such as the S section formed by turns 7 and 8, while others are much slower, like the combinations of turns 1 and 3, 6, and 14. These sequences, combined with the high-speed sections, make the track demanding on tyres and pose a challenge for energy recovery with the new power units.

It will be interesting to see whether drivers can avoid the frequent corner-entry lock-ups seen at the Sakhir circuit during pre-season testing, where some heavy braking zones were similar to those in China.

The Shanghai track was completely resurfaced in August 2024. The new asphalt significantly increased grip, consequently reducing lap times. However, the smoother surface generated graining in 2025, particularly on the front axle, which became a limiting factor that year, especially during the Sprint. The phenomenon, however, diminished in intensity on Sunday thanks to track evolution.

One year later, the circuit should be slightly more aged and, although still smoother than most others, grip levels may be lower, as should the likelihood of experiencing graining on the tyre sets. This hypothesis can already be assessed in the opening track sessions.

The lap-time simulations received by the teams are close to last year's performance figures. Despite having completely different cars, the SM zones evidently compensate for the drop in speed of the new generation of cars compared to the previous one.

IN 2025

Only three drivers in 2025 chose the Hard compound at the start of the Chinese Grand Prix, while the rest of the grid opted for the Medium. The Soft compound was not used during Sunday's race. The most common strategy was a one-stop, with a long final stint on the hardest tyre, which on track had shown less tendency to grain and consistent performance even over high mileage. The drivers who finished on the podium pitted between laps fourteen and fifteen. Victory went to Oscar Piastri, with teammate Lando Norris in second place. George Russell completed the podium.

PIRELLI SPRINT QUALIFYING AWARD

On Friday, at the end of Sprint Qualifying, which sets the starting grid for the following day's short race, the pole-sitter will receive the Pirelli Sprint Qualifying Award. This year the trophy has been completely redesigned. Between the base and the upper element, which reproduces a Formula 1 Soft tyre, the compound used in SQ3 to set the fastest time, a helmet decorated in the colors of the host country's flag is embedded. The visor will bear an engraving of the winning driver's name and car number.

STATISTICS

This year marks the nineteenth edition of the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai circuit. The first race, won by Rubens Barrichello, took place in 2004. The event remained on the calendar without interruption until 2019, then returned in 2024. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes hold the record for the most victories at the Chinese track, with six wins each. The British driver is also the record holder for podium finishes, with nine, followed by Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel with six each.

PODIUM CAP SPECIAL EDITION

The second Grand Prix of the season will also feature a special podium cap, created by Pirelli Design in collaboration with designer Denis Dekovic. The cap worn by the drivers on the podium is imperial yellow, a shade that throughout the country's history has represented power, prestige, and victory. To celebrate the Year of the Horse, the animal is depicted on the stickers decorating the visor. The podium caps are available for purchase on the e-commerce platform https://store.pirelli.com.