F1 - Chinese Grand Prix

F1 - Chinese Grand Prix

F1 - Chinese Grand Prix
4
About
As a leg of the prestigious Formula One World Championship, the Chinese Grand Prix draws top F1 driving talent to Shanghai every April, and the city's hottest nightclubs host parties to welcome the influx of racing celebrities and moneyed spectators. The race takes place in Shanghai's northernmost suburb, Jiading, at the Shanghai International Circuit. The 5.451km track was designed by Hermann Tike, and the distinct layout – made to look like the Chinese character shang (上) as in Shanghai – features a particularly difficult corner combination that can trip up many drivers.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

Top ways to experience F1 - Chinese Grand Prix and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles42 reviews
Excellent
17
Very good
15
Average
6
Poor
3
Terrible
1

Heals64
Sydney, Australia44 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Friends
After many trips to the Melbourne f1 Gp I decided to check out the Shanghai race. in short it was cheaper to experience 12 days in ong Kong, Shanghai and Macau than a week in Melbourne. 3 days pass on the back straight grand stand was less than a third of the cost of raceday grandstand tickets at Albert Park..... Plus the circuit at Shanghai is way superior and you can see much more action.
Written 30 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DupsyLondonUK
London, UK81 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2015 • Solo
I visited Shanghai International Grand Prix Circuit in April 2015 and it was an good experience but could not matched my Yas Marinas Abu Dhabi visit in 2014 when Lewis Hamilton won the Formula 1 Championship.

Cheapest way to get there is via the Metro line 11 (dark brown line) to Shanghai Grand Prix Circuit station for a fee of RMB4/ 40 PENCE Less than a pound. You could take the same train to your hotel at the same price and this is relatively cheap. I noticed the merchandise are very expensive and please buy online or from other Grand Prix events. It has probably the cheapest entry fees and please book PentaHotel which is a funky Hotel with mixed nationalities.

The taxi fare from this hotel is max RMB150/£15 and be careful of rip off taxis. Ask the reception and they will get you a taxi from the front of the hotel.. Insist on the price given to you by the receptionist to the taxi drivers as they tried to add extra RMB's

Shanghai arrived with a bang in Formula One and while races in recent seasons haven't quite had the same excitement seen during its early years, there is enough substance for it to be an intriguing watch on race day.

For instance whether the Chinese Grand Prix is held as a potential title decider late on in the year (2004-2008) or as an early opener (2009-present) it can often be hit with outside variables; wet conditions often sprinkling some unpredictability over a weekend.

The track layout is also a challenging design. Herman Tilke ensures he gets his long straight and hairpin turn in, but it flows like Malaysia and offers great reward for getting the line through the sequence of fast turns spot on, in the middle of the lap especially.

A decent run out on to the back straight is a catalyst for the classic trademark move going into the penultimate corner. Even the pit lanes can be challenging (you'll see if you scroll down) which brings us nicely on to the latest in Sportsmail's series of Grand Prix memories..

Hamilton Lewis grand prix served up one of the pivotal moments of the 2007 season. Rookie Lewis Hamilton tried to drag a set of beaten up intermediate tyres as long as he could around the circuit and did the hard bit by staying on the road. But when coming to pit in for new rubber, he somehow beached his McLaren in a gravel trap.

Food is cheap in China, Taxis are cheap and Transportation generally is so cheap is unbelievable. A must if you fancy Formula 1
Written 17 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vixter247
Beijing, China115 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019
The track is good and ticket prices are really reasonable compared to other countries.

It's easy to get there on the subway and the track has it's own designated stop which is great. Less than an hour from downtown subway lines.

If you are looking for a more upmarket type experience though you might be disappointed. Once inside there are beers and there is food, but it's mostly burgers, fried foods and noodles etc. The lines to pay are small and quick, or you could take your own food in, which we did. Beers are about 3ormb, which is the most expensive can of Heiniken (Sponsor) I've had in China. There was a wine tent too but it is mostly beer.

The grassy areas are not too packed and the stand offers excellent views.

Written 25 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nath A
Cornwall, UK73 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Couples
I went to the April 2019 (1000th) race event and whilst it may not have been 'the best race', my review is written very much from the perspective of the attraction/circuit rather than the race itself. Although I have attended a number of races in the past, this is my first time reviewing the circuit/attraction as I felt I needed to as I feel there are number of unjustified negative (perhaps slightly older?) reviews and also none that really provide too much info - so I'm hoping this will be of some us to others in the future.

We coincided a visit to Shanghai with the race as timings and holidays just seemed to fit together. We've wanted to visit Shanghai for a while, and when we saw the race coincided with holiday time, we thought we might as well go for it. We found the price very reasonable - a bronze tier ticket (on the hairpin which is where most the action happens - we saw a number of overtakes/lock ups) was just over £100, much cheaper than many of the European races and certainly Silverstone (my 'local' race).

It is certainly a different F1 experience compared to the more established/European races. On track, F2 do not go there so there is limited support races (Chinese F4 and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia) although they were not too bad to watch - the Porsche one in particular was very good and saw quite a bit of action.

Off track - admittedly, there is less in terms of food and merchandise opportunities. Given the race is sponsored by Heineken, your drink options are somewhat limited - Heineken or a soft drink! But in my opinion, for an event that big and compared to other races on the calendar/other global sporting events, food and drink are very reasonably priced (approx £3.50 for Heineken, £1.20 for soft drinks and various food offerings - a pizza and 2 drinks was just under £15). Merchandise wise, there are few stands selling items for the big teams but nothing on the scale of other races.

However, above all, you are going for the F1 and the experience doesn't disappoint. Seats in the right areas give an excellent view of the track - I would recommend the hairpin (although some of the general admission seemed to offer good views too) and all 'seated' areas offer a large TV screen so you can see what is happening on the whole race. If you can run quick enough, you would probably be able to get close to the podium at the end from most places, although we didn't attempt this!

In terms of getting to/into the circuit. Transport wise, it was not as problematic as I was expecting. We attended all three days using the metro (the circuit has it's own stop right outside on line 11) and it was never a problem. We left our hotel slightly earlier on race day (approx 8.30) and although people were standing, I wouldn't describe it as overcrowded. Of course it is busier on exit, but there is a very good queuing system which moves quicker than you would expect and quicker than it looks - that said, we did stay behind for about an hour before exiting. Once we joined the end of the queue, we were on the metro within half an hour. Security and turnstile wise, no problems and it ran very efficiently - no more than five minutes to get through.

Overall a very good experience, if not slightly lacking off-track compared to other events on the calendar. From a European perspective, I wouldn't suggest visiting specifically for this, but if you are visiting Shanghai anyway, are touring the circuits or need it to 'tick off the list', it is certainly worth the trip.
Written 21 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

badmire
Shanghai, China673 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016
Great place to see an F1 race. Take the metro Line 11 to the Shanghai Circuit stop. It is the best way in and out of the track. There is tons of food and drink available and lots of vendors selling race stuff.
Written 5 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David H
21 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Solo
The layout of this track is such that a great deal of the course can be seen from the top level of the main grandstand, so be sure to get a seat high up. This course is know for plenty of overtaking, and given the view as above it makes for an exciting race. So, if you are there for the race itself, then Shanghai is a good choice.

The facilities are falling apart. During a heavy rain on the Saturday morning there was about 5" of water flowing down the grandstands, and some seats were impossible to occupy. I was concerned for safety as I thought the fascia on the underside of the roof might break away.
Tickets are reasonably priced, which might be explained the lack of other activities. At other F1 races there are a variety other race related activities, but here there was only an Asian Porsche series.
Written 25 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tricky Duck
Rotherham, UK663 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Friends
Travelled a long way to see this event which was a bargain price for quality seats on the start finish line but way up in the gods!

It’s was a trek up three stories so not for those with a weak heart. It was suggested there was one lift but we did not see it.

There we no concessions on the level. For some reason people paid for seat but insisted standing effectively blocking the view on occasions. People also stood in the stair wells, a dangerous practice not allowed at many other circuits.

Access to the track was easy on the metro which stops right outside the main entrance.

There were some displays and merchandise stands before entry. Security was very strict as is everywhere in Shanghai so allow a little extra time for searching and scanners.

There are several screens above the pit lanes so that was very helpful even though you have a great view of some of the in field.

Top tip pay for the better seats and take in soft drinks and a snack to save walking down the stairs.
Written 21 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brock E
3 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Solo
Yeah those of you who have been to other F1 races in the world will know this is second-rate. Usually $8 lattes are acceptable begrudgingly because the city puts on a great show for the fans. Shanghai doesn't. It's just F1. If you're an F1 fan I wouldn't really recommend. No good food, drinks, marquees, sideshows, cars on display. They literally couldn't have tried less. That said, the granstands are fantastic and offer some of the best viewing in the world, being able to see so much of the track from the main grandstand and both the H and K sections. 'Big screens' are few and far between and GOOD LUCK HEARING ANY COMMENTARY over the "speakers" in the stands - even with these whisper-quiet engines. They sell slabs of beer at the circuit which you can take back to your seats - enter everyone's favourite tourist - drunk Australians /s. Bad idea.

Anyone who has rated this 4 or 5 stars has never been to a good Grand Prix - Melbourne, Singapore, Silverstone, Texas.

Race was 10/10 and the only saving grace for my race weekend. No thanks to Shanghai.
Written 19 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ashhab21
Dhaka City, Bangladesh29 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Friends
My first live F1 experience was truly a memorable one. I was a little hesitant to pick Shanghai as the reviews were not all that great.

But in my view those reviews were either misleading, or Shanghai simply turned it up a notch in 2018. The entire event was neatly organised and there were a lot of stuff to do.

I bought a 2 day pass in the main pit lane grand stand (upper tier). The location is ideal as you get a great view or the start-finish straight, pit lane and almost 40% of the track. Outside the track there were merchandise stores, F1 experience stores where you can practice pitstops, F1 Esports booth where you can compete in sprint races with 9 others. To beat the queue to these events, i went to the event at 9:30 on race-day morning and it was a very good decision. Its so easy to come to circuit using the metro.

Food options are limited inside the facility, but outside there is an automobile carnival going on and there are multiple food courts there.

Overall it was a great experience. I would highly recommend to any F1 fan!
Written 15 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Russell V
Auckland Central, New Zealand86 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Couples
We had booked our trip around attending the F1 but the schedule was changed by F1 and we were now a week early. Too expensive to change our itinerary but seeing the track was a must. The place was being setup when we arrived. You need to pay 100 RMB for a couple and do the 40 minute tour. You get to see areas otherwise restricted to the public.
Find Costa Coffee and there’s a small unassuming kiosk where you buy the ticket. Stand outside the main admission gate and the coffee shop is to the right hand side.
Informative tour with ample opportunities for photographs.
FYI you might have trouble hailing a 🚕
Written 8 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 19
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

F1 - Chinese Grand Prix - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

All Shanghai HotelsShanghai Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Shanghai
All things to do in Shanghai
Day Trips in Shanghai
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars