F1 teams face Chinese Grand Prix 'uncertainty' after FIA inspection

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'Uncertainty' surrounds Chinese Grand Prix after FIA inspection

Late fixes are being made to Shanghai International Circuit to prepare it for F1 race

Shay Rogers

Saturday 13 April 2024 14:59 Updated: 17:26

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Formula 1 teams are unsure what sort of track they will be competing on at the Chinese Grand Prix, after a wave of repairs have been carried out to fix a problem.

The sport hasn’t raced at the Shanghai International Circuit since 2019, meaning that the current era of ground-effect cars haven't had a chance to be put through their paces at the track.

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This era of technical regulations and the close proximity of the cars to the ground has resulted in them being extra sensitive to bumps.

An FIA inspection conducted late last year found that there were a few areas of the circuit that needed to be addressed - made flatter - for racing to be safe.

The lack of recent, relevant data leaves room for plenty of questions for teams - with China’s return being treated like a new event.

The Chinese Grand Prix last happened in 2019

Bumps around the circuit have been worked on

What is the problem with the Chinese GP circuit?

Pirelli’s Formula 1 chief engineer Simone Berra discussed the lack of relevant data, and how difficult it makes the task of a return for both tyre supplier and teams.

“It's like a new circuit, honestly,” he told Autosport, who have claimed the 'uncertainty' of the track will cause a problem for outfits up and down the paddock.

“Because we have new cars, new tyres, the 18-inch [rims].

“The track was really not used in five years, it was just used for one race per year or something like that. So, it will be really green and quite dirty, although obviously, they will clean the track.

“In the past, it was quite rough in terms of both micro and macro roughness. We need to understand how ageing has gone in the last years.

“So not much data, and even for the teams it will be a big challenge, not just for us, but for the teams even more probably.”

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes FIA Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai International Circuit