Strategy and set-up keys
F1 drivers and teams will have plenty to think about this weekend as not only does the sport return to China for the first time in five years, but the revised Sprint format is also in play.
That means just one practice session to get to grips with the 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit, which features a mixture of low, medium and high-speed corners, and a particularly lengthy back straight.
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Based on simulations and past data, tyre supplier Pirelli has put the track in a “medium category” when it comes to lateral and longitudinal forces, with the outside of the tyre – especially on the left-hand side – wearing the most, meaning a mid-range selection of the C2 (hard), C3 (medium) and C4 (soft).
F1’s Sprint format means a different dry tyre allocation for the weekend ahead, with availability dropping from 13 sets to 12 (two hard, four medium and six soft), while the number of wet-weather sets remains the same (five intermediate and two wet).
While variable weather conditions could play their part, Pirelli point to a two-stop strategy traditionally being the preferred approach to the Grand Prix in dry conditions, thanks to an array of overtaking possibilities and the undercut often being powerful at Shanghai.
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News Summary:
- NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix
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