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F1 will return to the Shanghai International Circuit to host the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix for the first time in five years this weekend.
The last time the sport visited the track was to mark the 1000th race in the world championship in the 2019 season. The race was won by Lewis Hamilton, followed by his then-Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.
Since then, the top drivers have not raced in Shanghai due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict regulations placed by the Chinese government because of the same.
Heading into the 2024 Chinese GP, it will be the first for many F1 drivers on the grid-like Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant, who wasn't part of the 2019 edition. The unfamiliarity of the track will be further amplified for them as it is the first Sprint weekend of the season that will limit their practice sessions.
Another factor at play might be the weather in Shanghai this weekend which might cause chaos in the three days of racing. As per Williams's official website, below is the weather forecast for the Chinese Grand Prix:
FRIDAY - FP1 AND SPRINT QUALIFYING
Forecast: Cloudy with a chance of light rain with a moderate breeze.
Temperature: 20C / 68F
Chance of precipitation: <5%
SATURDAY - SPRINT AND QUALIFYING
Forecast: Overcast conditions with light rain showers and a gentle breeze.
Temperature: 21C / 69.8F
Chance of precipitation: <10%
SUNDAY - RACE
Forecast: Slightly overcast with a gentle breeze.
Highest temperature: 22C / 71.6F
Chance of precipitation: <5%
Charles Leclerc previews the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix this weekend
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has stated that he believes that the Chinese Grand Prix would be 'interesting' due to the Sprint race.
Speaking to the media after his race in Japan, Leclerc said (via PlanetF1):
“It’s going to be an interesting weekend. As always, I think it’s quite tricky with the Sprint weekend and you have no room for a mistake. But I like this.
“It’s even more of a challenge because qualifying now is a point I need to focus on for putting the tires in the right window. So I’ll have two qualifying [sessions] in Shanghai, two chances to recover well.”
He predicted that "Red Bull still have the upper hand and we are the second best team and then the others, but McLaren wasn’t bad, was very close actually to us."
F1 fans and drivers alike would hope that they could utilize the unpredictability of the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend to produce a shocking result and upset the apple cart.
