With the incredible events of the Australian GP still fresh in mind, Formula 1 moves to Shanghai for the 19th edition of the Chinese GP.
Last year, there were 220,000 spectators, a ten percent increase compared to 2024 thanks to the addition of 17,000 seats. In China, F1 enthusiasts exceed 150 million, and their number continues to grow.
GP Data
According to the engineers of the Brembo group who work closely with all the Formula 1 Team drivers, the 5.451 km long Shanghai International Circuit falls into the category of moderately demanding circuits for brakes. On a scale from 1 to 5, it has earned a difficulty index of 3 due to 7 braking events per lap for a total of 16.3 seconds, equivalent to 18 percent of the total time: 3 braking events are classified as Hard, one as Medium, and 3 as Low.
The toughest corner
From the simulations carried out, the toughest corner of the Shanghai International Circuit for the braking system remains Turn 14. This is because it is preceded by a 1.2 km straight, allowing the cars to reach 314 km/h before relying on the brakes. The speed drops to 77 km/h in just 3.51 seconds, during which the cars cover 158 meters: the brake pedal load is 105 kg, the deceleration is 3.9 g, while the braking power is 1,665 kW.
Braking changes
Compared to 2025, the Chinese GP is expected to see a decrease in the speed delta between the start and end of braking due to reduced top speeds. For the toughest corners, braking times have also increased by about 20 percent as F1 drivers aim to achieve greater battery recharge. To this end, the pressure applied to the brake pedal is lower than in previous years, as are the decelerations experienced by the drivers.
Smaller but more numerous
In 2022, when 18-inch wheels were introduced, the dimensions of the carbon discs changed. The regulations stipulated that ventilation holes on discs could not be smaller than 3 mm in diameter. This decision was not particularly welcomed by Brembo, which had been producing 2.5 mm holes—significantly more complex—for almost a decade. From this year, 2.5 mm holes are allowed again, enabling Brembo to reintroduce discs with 1,440 ventilation holes to improve thermal exchange.
Winning front row
The 18 editions of the Chinese GP have been won by 13 drivers starting from the front row: 11 from pole position and 2 alongside them, 2 from the second row but none from the fourth slot, and 3 from the third row. Lewis Hamilton is the only driver to have won 2 consecutive editions of the Chinese GP, in 2014 and 2015 with Mercedes. Last year, the Englishman won the Sprint with Ferrari, whose entire braking system has been developed by Brembo for decades, as is the case for all road models of the Maranello-based company.