Red Bull F1 News: Christian Horner Warns Against Untested Chinese GP Circuit

Author:
Saajan Jogia
Apr 10, 2024

Formula 1 makes its comeback to China next week for the first time since 2019, marking the debut of the ground-effect cars on the Shanghai International Circuit. Given the lack of prior testing with these new cars on the track, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has warned teams about serious challenges they might encounter during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

Key Takeaways:

Formula 1 returns to China for the first time since 2019, featuring ground-effect cars on the Shanghai International Circuit, posing challenges for teams due to limited testing.
The Chinese Grand Prix serves as the venue for the inaugural sprint race of the 2024 season, and Christian Horner warns about the immense pressure on the front left tires of the cars.
Concerns about drain hole covers dislodging and potential traction issues prompt drivers like Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, and Sergio Perez to advocate for excluding the Sprint weekend from China.

After a four-year gap due to COVID-19 restrictions, China welcomes Formula 1 back to its race circuit, serving as the venue for the first Sprint race of the 2024 season. This poses a challenge for drivers unfamiliar with the track, as they have only one practice session for the whole race weekend, unlike the three Free Practice sessions held under regular race weekends.

While Horner views that as a challenge, he also perceives it as an opportunity to score more points.
Speaking to PitDebrief as perJunaid Samodien on X, he said:

“[The] first sprint race of the year so that’s another challenge, a lot of points available, so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes.”

Concerns about the risk of drain hole covers becoming dislodged and causing damage to cars, as well as potential traction issues on freshly resurfaced sections of the track, similar to those encountered in Istanbul in 2020, have prompted several drivers, including Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, and Sergio Perez, to advocate for excluding the Sprint weekend from China due to potential issues that may arise.

The circuit features high-speed corners and demanding braking zones across various sections, notably in Turns 11 to 13. Horner also draws attention to serious concerns regarding the front left tires of the cars, which will come under immense pressure and experience heightened degradation. He said:

“There with the high speed corners onto the back straights as well, it’s always been very punishing on the front left tire, but we’ve got a sprint race as well."

With numerous challenges lying ahead for Formula 1 teams and drivers, the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix could be perceived as a significant test. They approach it with a similar mindset to tackling an entirely new circuit, highlighting the uncertainty and potential hurdles they may encounter during the Sprint weekend.