Adam Rosales tells us about his first journey to the Chinese language Grand Prix in Shanghai, an inexpensive race that provides wonderful spectator views.
Pictures kindly equipped by Adam. Further photographs equipped by GPDestinations.
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Attending the Chinese language Grand Prix was not likely on my radar till I discovered a stable loyalty factors deal for flights that lined up with race weekend. It may be exhausting to supply tickets for this race (particularly as a foreigner), however I additionally knew that GPDestinations nonetheless had some out there. I additionally discovered an amazing deal for a Hilton resort in Shanghai for 4 nights, two of which I used to be capable of cowl with loyalty factors.
After getting my companion’s approval, I went forward and booked the journey! I reached out to a good friend dwelling in Hong Kong and let him know my plans. He was keen to affix me for race weekend. With an inexpensive flight, resort and race ticket all confirmed, I used to be able to journey to what was each a brand new nation and a brand new race weekend for me, in addition to hang around with an outdated good friend.
Grandstand B
I bought a ticket for Grandstand B, which is positioned on the surface of Flip 1 at Shanghai Worldwide Circuit. GPDestination’s ticket provider, GPT-Worldwide, allotted us some nice seats within the higher B1.2B part of the grandstand. We have been near the Most important Grandstand A and had a view of virtually all of Sector 1! There was a small blind spot after Flip 4, however you could possibly see the hairpin of Flip 6 and the automobiles didn’t disappear absolutely till they swept into Flip 7.
This was positively probably the greatest views from a Flip 1 grandstand that I’ve ever skilled! With the ability to watch the automobiles launch into Flip 1 on the race begin and battle by varied racing strains in each the dash race and grand prix was a improbable expertise.
The grandstand follows the curve of the circuit and encircles the Flip 1 part like an area. It was GA however was expanded right into a grandstand earlier than the race returned after the pandemic in 2024. It’s an enormous grandstand, and value noting that the views from different sections shall be very totally different to what I skilled. For instance, you might be able to see extra of Turns 5-7 however the view of Flip 3 would most likely be blocked by the partitions, because the circuit dips downhill between Turns 2-3.
Ticket Registration & Circuit Entry
The group at Shanghai Worldwide Circuit is fairly distinctive. China is well-known for its superior use of facial recognition expertise, and this extends to the ticketing and entrance course of on the circuit in Shanghai. It’s the one circuit on the present calendar to not use conventional printed tickets, QR codes or e-ticket PDFs.
About six weeks earlier than race weekend, GPT-Worldwide contacted me to register our tickets with our passport. As soon as we registered, I used to be despatched a hyperlink to add a scan of our passports in addition to a photograph for use on the entry gates.
The web site was a bit choosy in regards to the photographs and scans used. However due to some feedback on the r/grandprixtravel subreddit (of which I’m the founder and moderator) and the ‘Going to the Chinese language Grand Prix’ Fb group, I uploaded my image utilizing an actual scanner reasonably than my telephone. This did the trick and as soon as I used to be registered, my tickets have been out there in my account on the Chinese language ticketing portal, and I might see the precise seat that I’d been allotted in Grandstand B.
Upon arrival on the circuit, I went by the traditional occasion safety after which the turnstile for tickets scanned my face. The show confirmed the picture I uploaded and the ticket seat data and I used to be allowed to proceed. As soon as contained in the circuit, there are secondary facial scans to enter every grandstand.
It would sound sophisticated, however as soon as the web registration was accomplished, the whole lot was tremendous simple. It was good not having to fret about carrying tickets or exhibiting tickets on my telephone, particularly when getting into the grandstand with a number of drinks in my hand!
Trackside Group, Circuit Services, Meals & Drink
It’s value noting that there have been no meals or drink distributors inside my grandstand. The food and drinks distributors for Grandstand B have been all outdoors the gates, behind or below the grandstand. (I’m informed that there are food and drinks distributors inside the primary grandstand, nonetheless.)
There was a lot to select from when it comes to food and drinks, and distributors have been positioned throughout the fan areas and near the grandstands. Strains have been prolonged at occasions however fairly nicely organized and streamlined, on condition that China makes use of digital (primarily smartphone) funds for the whole lot. Distributors largely understood English and it wasn’t tough to purchase something with hand gestures like pointing at what you wished to purchase.
Meals choices catered to each native and worldwide followers, together with burgers, scorching canine, noodles and rice bowls with varied proteins. There have been additionally loads of snacks out there, comparable to fries/chips, hen nuggets, popcorn and lobster crisps. The common meal value round 80 RMB ($12 USD) and a Heineken 500ml was 40 RMB($6 USD).
There have been a lot of sponsor activations each contained in the circuit and outdoors the metro station, in addition to show automobiles, merchandise stalls, and meals/drink concessions. Loos have been indoor and cleaned continuously beneath each grandstands A and B. There have been additionally some non permanent indoor loos on the fan zone subsequent to the metro, not all of which had western-style bathrooms. The primary cubicle I opened there was a “gap within the floor” squat sort, however I simply went to the following one over and located a western-style bathroom (and a urinal).
General, Shanghai Worldwide Circuit is a improbable facility. Though it’s greater than twenty years outdated, it nonetheless feels very trendy when in comparison with another present F1 circuits. The safety (and soldier!) presence was excessive, making it really feel very secure always. As an English speaker, I used to be capable of get by simply advantageous. My good friend speaks Mandarin, which made issues simpler for us, nevertheless it was not essential on the circuit as a lot as downtown.
Trackside Meetup
I organized a small meetup on the observe for the subreddit I reasonable known as r/grandprixtravel and had about 8-10 totally different individuals present up. It was nice to satisfy others and never that tough to rearrange. It’s an excellent possibility in case you are open to assembly different followers from a like-minded neighborhood like my subreddit or the ‘Going to the Chinese language Grand Prix’ Fb group. The Chinese language Grand Prix is overwhelmingly attended by native followers, so it was additionally good to convey a few of the fairly small contingent of worldwide followers collectively at this race.
Attending to Shanghai Worldwide Circuit
Like many purpose-built circuits on the present F1 calendar, Shanghai Worldwide Circuit is constructed on the outskirts of the town. The circuit is well accessed by Shanghai Metro Line 11 and there’s a station subsequent to the circuit. My good friend and I used a mixture of taxi and metro to get to and from the circuit throughout race weekend. Taxis (DiDi) are literally pretty low cost to get across the metropolis. You possibly can get them organized from the DiDi app inside Alipay.
On Friday, we took a DiDi Luxe from my resort to the circuit for 133 RMB ($19 USD). The experience took about one hour and there was some visitors, however not big delays. We took the metro dwelling that day. It’s simple to make use of the metro system with the Alipay app; you may generate a QR code to make use of on the turnstiles, which in flip prices your account.
On Saturday, visitors was a lot heavier and I spotted midway by the journey that our DiDi driver didn’t take the toll street. The police additionally closed many roads across the circuit. Our driver wasn’t certain the place to go and we obtained caught in visitors near the circuit – together with many different autos. After about 90 minutes, we determined to get out of the automotive at one of many roads resulting in the circuit and stroll (jog!) the remainder of the best way. It was slightly over a mile, and it regarded like we’d not make it in time for the beginning of the dash. Fortunately, I used to be capable of flag down a hospitality shuttle and persuade the driving force to take us nearer to the gate. I despatched him a small tip by way of Alipay to thank him. We arrived at our seats because the formation lap began for the dash, and determined we’d not take any extra taxis! After qualifying, we returned to the town by way of metro.
On Sunday, we took the metro each to and from the circuit, experiencing an attention-grabbing type of crowd management after the race that I hadn’t seen used earlier than. On the gates to the metro, the police held the gang for a couple of minutes at a time. We have been herded right into a separate gated space, the place we waited till it was full and have been then allowed to board the following prepare. It felt like we have been a herd of cattle, nevertheless it really labored very well. The quantity of followers within the holding was sufficient to fill the prepare with out it feeling overcrowded or uncomfortable.
The closest station to my resort was a couple of 25 minute stroll away, so we determined to take a DiDi to and from the metro cease. Utilizing DiDi to get to and from the airport was additionally simple. Usually, I paid a bit extra for the premium model (DiDi Luxe), which was a van with snug recliner chairs and likewise provided free snacks and a alternative of nonetheless and glowing water!
Getting a China Visa
Having to acquire a vacationer visa to go to a rustic was a brand new expertise for me. I’ve visited different races the place it’s essential acquire a ‘visa on arrival,’ comparable to Bahrain. As a US citizen, the method was slightly bit tougher for China. The truth that my closest Chinese language Embassy (in Houston, Texas) had not too long ago closed made it much more tough. I didn’t actually have the time (and didn’t need to spend cash on flights and lodges) to make an in-person utility on the subsequent closest Chinese language Embassy in Washington, DC.
Ultimately, I simplified the entire course of by utilizing a visa agent, Austin Passport Specific. They helped me fill out the visa utility kind on the official Chinese language web site and made certain my picture met the rules. I dropped off my passport with the company, submitted the appliance, and paid their charge ($399 USD) and the visa charge ($140 USD). The visa agent used a courier service with in a single day transport to get my passport to the embassy in Washington DC. I acquired my passport again by way of courier about one week later. Getting the visa ended up being my greatest expense of the entire journey however it’s legitimate for ten years.
Web Restrictions & Important Apps
In some ways, China is totally different to the opposite international locations that Method presently visits. For instance, Google doesn’t actually work. I did some analysis earlier than the journey on GPDestinations, Reddit and varied journey blogs. This helped me to obtain the best apps forward of time and be prepared for once I arrived in Shanghai. I additionally downloaded a VPN however ended up not needing to make use of it, as a result of my telephone was on roaming and technically nonetheless utilizing my American cellphone community.
I used to be capable of entry all my social media and didn’t encounter the everyday internet restrictions that influence most vacationers to China. My good friend who joined me for the weekend had additionally lived in Shanghai (albeit ten years in the past) and was capable of assist me arrange the 2 most necessary apps, Alipay and WeChat, forward of time.
Alipay is the most typical approach to pay for something and likewise has built-in apps comparable to AMaps (just like Google Maps) and DiDi (just like Uber). The app additionally had metro and bus schedules, plus a great deal of different helpful data. WeChat is just like the Chinese language model of WhatsApp, and is crucial for speaking with different individuals in China.
Downtown Shanghai
Shanghai is nicely linked and straightforward to navigate, although there are some language limitations. Should you’re affected person and prepared to embrace new adventures, you’ll have a good time. English isn’t spoken very a lot in daily interactions, like in eating places or at markets. However the workers at my resort did communicate English.
I used my Hilton Diamond standing with a mixture of factors and cash to pay for my resort, Hilton Shanghai Metropolis Middle. It was an excellent possibility for race weekend, providing five-star facilities and a improbable buffet breakfast at a really inexpensive value.
The realm round my resort, and mainly in every single place I walked within the metropolis, felt very secure. I had no points strolling round both on my own or with associates, even late at night time. The one be aware of warning could be to be looking out for electrical mopeds using on the sidewalks. The riders typically flip off their lights at night time to avoid wasting their battery, and since they’re electrical, they will simply sneak up on you and fly previous nearly silently.
We ate at some tasty and enjoyable eating places, like Haidilao (hotpot) and Japanese BBQ (grill on the desk). The workers have been pleasant and the costs for each meals and drinks have been very cheap by world requirements. The ordering course of could be a bit daunting for non-Chinese language audio system, however translation apps and hand gestures (pointing on the menu) are useful! All of the native individuals I interacted with over the weekend have been welcoming, pleasant and useful, even when there was generally a language barrier. Having a good friend who spoke Mandarin was useful, however not at all times – some locals spoke a unique dialect that he didn’t perceive!
Closing Ideas
I completely liked visiting Shanghai, and I can’t wait to return. I’d love to go to the race once more or see extra of China. The meals was tasty, costs have been cheap and the entire metropolis felt very futuristic and tech-forward. As a race weekend, it’s one of many most cost-effective on the calendar. The circuit could be very nicely linked by way of the metro and the trackside views are nice. I’m glad the race lastly returned after the pandemic. The native fanbase for Method 1 in China is big, and this nation deserves to have a race.
Value Abstract
Return Flight: Austin-Shanghai (PVG) with Delta Air Strains = 76,400 Miles + $41.51 USD
3-Day Race Ticket: Grandstand B = €407 EUR ($484 USD)
4-Night time Lodge Keep: Hilton Shanghai Metropolis Middle = 100k Hilton factors (two nights) + $292 USD (two nights)
