Formula 1 and its teams and drivers will head to Shanghai this weekend for the Chinese Grand Prix. from the F1 calendar for the past 5 years. but now it’s making its return to the F1 calendar this year with a bang.
The Chinese GP will host the first Sprint Race of the season. This means we will have exciting action happening throughout the weekend. But why was the Chinese Grand Prix out of the calendar in the first place?
Having made its debut in 2004, the Audi Shanghai International Circuit was one of the most popular tracks among F1 fans. It was known for its complicated opening corner that made race starts seemingly interesting. The track saw nothing but success during its time in F1. Until the 2019 season, the race was held without any breaks.
Why was the Chinese Grand Prix absent from the F1 calendar for 5 years?
As 2020 struck, the entire world was thrown into lockdown due to the COVID-19 virus. One of the countries that was seriously affected by the virus was China. This forced the government to introduce some extreme protocols to control the situation.
When the COVID-19 virus reached its peak before the F1 season opener in Australia, all major events all around the world were postponed, including F1. For a while, the teams were not sure how they were gonna survive the lockdown with no income.
It’s the best kind of week… race week!!
Five years on from the landmark 1000th Grand Prix, we return to Shanghai ❤️#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/oFMH6JImDk
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 15, 2024
But as July arrived, the teams headed to Spielberg for the Austrian Grand Prix. There was suddenly hope for fans all around the world. Things were finally getting back to normal. The COVID-19 situation is still present and critical in some countries. Hence, F1 were not able to go ahead with the planned calendar. Instead, they created a new calendar making their visits to countries that would allow F1 to race.
Unfortunately, China was not able to host a Grand Prix as the COVID-19 situation was still severe. The track was expected to make a comeback in 2021. But was once again cancelled as the country required all personnel to be under quarantine for 14 days after arriving in the country. This was logistically impossible as the drivers and teams would have to head to other countries for their races. There were plans to host in 2022 and 2023 but were eventually cancelled for the same issue.
This year, the stars have aligned and the Chinese Grand Prix will take place as scheduled. Are you excited for the Chinese Grand Prix? Share your excitement in the comments section below.
Rohit Kumar 
Sara Chavan