Shanghai International Circuit
Shanghai International Circuit at a glance
- Location
- Shanghai, Jiading District
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 5.451 km (3.387 mi)
- Turns
- 16
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 2004
- Owner
- Shanghai Jiushi Group / Shanghai International Automobile City
- Capacity
- 200,000
- Website
- shanghai-circuit.com
Track map and layout
上海国际赛车场 was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke and opened in 2004 on former swampland and rice paddy in Jiading District, northwest Shanghai. Its plan is famously laid out to echo the Chinese character 上 ("shang", meaning "up", also the first character of Shanghai's name) when viewed from above. The lap opens with a long, tightening right-hander at Turns 1-2 that climbs and then falls away, a layout inspired by Germany's Nurburgring, before a tight infield section leads into the fast Turns 7-8 chicane, taken under heavy lateral load. A 1.2 km back straight, one of the longest in Formula 1, runs into the tight Turn 14 hairpin, a prime overtaking zone, before a short run back to the start/finish line.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix circuit | 5.45 km | full 16-turn layout used for F1, WEC, Formula E and Super GT |
Events and race weekends
The Shanghai circuit anchors China's motorsport calendar with the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, which returned to the schedule in 2024 after a pandemic-driven hiatus and now often carries a Sprint format. The FIA World Endurance Championship and Formula E have both run rounds here in recent seasons, alongside domestic touring car (TCR China, CTCC) and GT racing, plus junior single-seater series such as F4 Chinese Championship.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix | Formula 1 | March | often run as a Sprint weekend since its 2024 return |
| TCR China / domestic touring car rounds | TCR China | varies | part of China's national touring-car calendar |
| Formula E Shanghai ePrix | Formula E | varies | held at the circuit in recent seasons |
Getting there and parking
The circuit has its own metro stop, Shanghai Circuit station on Line 11, a few minutes' walk from the grandstand entrances via Exit 6, making it one of the easiest F1 venues in the world to reach without a car. It sits roughly 25 km from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and about 55 km from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, both connected to central Shanghai and onward to Line 11 by metro or taxi.
- Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) · about 40 min drive
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) · about 70 min drive
Parking
On-site parking is available on event days; general non-event entry costs around CNY 50. Race-weekend parking and shuttle arrangements are published closer to the Grand Prix by the organiser.
Take Shanghai Metro Line 11 directly to Shanghai Circuit station and use Exit 6 - it is a five-minute walk to the site and avoids race-day road traffic entirely.
Hotels and camping near Shanghai International Circuit
Most Grand Prix visitors stay in central Shanghai (the Bund, Jing'an or Xujiahui areas) and ride Metro Line 11 out to the circuit, since it runs directly into the city centre. A smaller number of visitors base themselves in Jiading New Town itself, closer to the track, which has a growing supply of business hotels aimed at the automobile city district.
Where to look
Jiading New Town (closest to the circuit); central Shanghai districts such as the Bund, Jing'an and Xujiahui (larger hotel choice, linked by Metro Line 11 or connecting lines).
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
The circuit complex includes a go-kart track promoted as one of Shanghai's few world-class outdoor karting facilities, and the venue is used for driving events and manufacturer track days on a booking basis, though there is no permanent, publicly advertised tourist lapping programme comparable to some European circuits.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 race lap record | 1:32.238 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari F2004 | 2004 |
| MotoGP lap record | 1:59.273 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha YZR-M1 | 2008 |
Spectator guide
The main grandstand alone seats around 30,000 and overlooks the start/finish straight and pit complex, while further grandstands wrap sections of the infield and the Turn 14 hairpin. General-admission areas around the back straight and final corners give fans a view of both the circuit's fastest point and its best overtaking zone.
Seating
Main grandstand (start/finish and pit straight, largest single stand); further numbered grandstands around Turns 1, 6-8 and 14.
Best places to watch
Turn 14 for late-braking overtakes at the end of the long back straight; the Turn 1-2 grandstands for the opening-lap action.
Weather
- March (F1 GP): mild but changeable spring weather, daytime highs typically around 15-20°C with a real chance of rain
History of Shanghai International Circuit
Built on rice paddy, designed to spell a character
Shanghai International Circuit opened in June 2004 in Jiading District, on the northwestern fringe of Shanghai, on land that had previously been swampland and rice paddy. German designer Hermann Tilke laid out the track so that, seen from above, its shape echoes the Chinese character 上 ("shang"), the first character in Shanghai's name. Construction reportedly involved around 3,000 workers a day over roughly 18 months to stabilise the ground before the circuit itself could be built.
A landmark Formula 1 venue
The circuit hosted its first Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in September 2004, won by Rubens Barrichello, and quickly became known for its distinctive Turn 1-2 complex, a long, tightening right-hander inspired by corners at Germany's Nurburgring, and for one of the longest back straights on the F1 calendar leading into the Turn 14 hairpin. The race became a fixture on the calendar through the 2000s and 2010s, though it was cancelled several years running during the COVID-19 pandemic before returning to the schedule in 2024, often run with a Sprint format.
Beyond Formula 1
Alongside Formula 1, the circuit has hosted rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship, Formula E, MotoGP (until China dropped off the calendar after 2019) and a full programme of domestic Chinese racing including TCR China and China GT. The wider circuit complex was built with tourism in mind from the outset, incorporating a hotel, shopping and dining precinct designed around a paddock resembling Shanghai's historic Yu Garden, plus an outdoor go-kart track, making it as much a leisure destination as a race venue in a city with comparatively little home-grown motorsport history before 2004.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Shanghai International Circuit?+
The Grand Prix circuit is 5.451 km (3.387 miles) long with 16 turns, run in a clockwise direction.
Why is the track shaped the way it is?+
Designer Hermann Tilke laid the circuit out so its outline, seen from above, resembles the Chinese character 上 ("shang"), the first character in the name Shanghai.
How do you get to Shanghai International Circuit?+
The easiest way is Shanghai Metro Line 11 to Shanghai Circuit station, which is a five-minute walk from the site via Exit 6. The circuit is roughly 25 km from Hongqiao Airport and 55 km from Pudong Airport.
What is the F1 lap record at Shanghai?+
Michael Schumacher set the current F1 race lap record of 1:32.238 for Ferrari in 2004, the circuit's first Grand Prix.
Does Shanghai International Circuit host anything besides Formula 1?+
Yes. The circuit has hosted the FIA World Endurance Championship, Formula E and MotoGP in past seasons, plus a full domestic calendar of Chinese touring car and GT racing.
Where do F1 fans stay for the Chinese Grand Prix?+
Most international visitors stay in central Shanghai (the Bund, Jing'an or Xujiahui) and travel out on Metro Line 11, which runs directly to the circuit's own station; a smaller number stay closer in Jiading New Town.
Other tracks nearby
- Shanghai Tianma Circuit · 31 km · road course
- Zhejiang International Circuit · 162 km · road course
- Ningbo International Speedpark · 186 km · road course
- Jiangsu Wantrack International Circuit · 211 km · road course
- Korea International Circuit · 614 km · road course
- Wuhan Street Circuit · 679 km · historic circuit (defunct)
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.