Circuits

The new circuit in China was designed by Hermann Tilke to be a circuit for the new millennium, with impressive spectator facilities and a media centre which spans the start finish straight - on opening it was billed as the venue all others should aspire to. It features Tilke's trademark long straight followed by a tight hairpin.

When it opened it was the most expensive F1 circuit costing around US$459million, funded by a government-backed joint-venture company. In September 2007, the former manager of the circuit Yu Zhifei was convicted of embezzlement in a corruption scandal which included several senior communist party officials who also lost their jobs.

The shape of the circuit is designed to look like the Chinese character 'Shang' which means high or above, and there are also other echoes of traditional Chinese architecture, including the team buildings set on stilts in the lake.

The land that the circuit sits on was formally swampland and had to be reclaimed before any building could begin; despite this the circuit was constructed in just 18months with a team of 3000 engineers. The inaugural race in 2004 was won by Rubens Barrichello driving a Ferrari, and in 2006 the circuit saw Michael Schumacher's final grand prix victory before his retirement at the end of the season.

Claire Furnell November 2009