The Shanghai International Circuit has seen some brilliant races, so we look back to one of the greatest – the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix.
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About The Chinese Grand Prix
The Chinese Grand Prix has featured on the Formula One race calendar since 2004. After a brief absence in between 2020 and 2023 (thanks to a certain global pandemic), it made its comeback in 2024 and is currently contracted to host Formula 1 until 2030.
Formula One’s current host venue in China is the mighty Shanghai International Circuit. The shape of the track is said to have been inspired by the Chinese symbol for “shang” (meaning “upwards”). The Paddock facilities are also unique, with each F1 team having their own building, arranged like pavilions in a lake. It’s a challenging circuit where the sweeping turns and tight hairpins almost seem to never end. Drivers face a particularly tricky 270-degree right hand corner combination at Turns 1 and 2, which only gets tighter as you go round.
In 2024, China was able to celebrate a home hero for the first time in Formula One history. Zhou Guanyu may have only managed to finish the 2024 Grand Prix in 14th place, but the occasion was undoubtedly special. A special parking spot was placed on the grid for the Shanghai-born driver to celebrate in front of his home crowd, and the reception from spectators was nothing short of electrifying. Whilst no longer in a race seat, Zhou Guanyu is still present in the Formula One paddock, fulfilling his new duties as a reserve driver for Ferrari.
The 2006 Chinese Grand Prix
Let’s be honest, Michael Schumacher was no stranger to claiming victory by the time 2006 rolled around, with the familiar sound of the German national anthem playing at many Grands Prix throughout his career. But arguably his most poignant win would come at the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix, as it would be his 91st and final race victory.
Off To A Damp Start
If you were a team running on Michelin tyres, the heavy downpour before the race was something that suited you. For those on the Bridgestone tyres, it was much less welcome. As the lights went out, Fernando Alonso led the charge towards the first corner. His teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella was close behind, with both Renaults keeping their front-row lockout advantage. Jenson Button slipped ahead of his teammate, Reubens Barrichello, with McLaren’s Kimi Räikkönen also managing to pass the Brazilian in the first few corners. The two Roberts (Kubica and Doornbos) came together, with Kubica’s BMW Sauber being pushed off the track and Doornbos losing his Red Bull’s front wing.
By the end of the first lap, Räikkönen had managed to confidently pass Button at 200mph through the spray and into third place. Michael Schumacher avoided the opening battles, holding on to his sixth position.
In the last corner of lap eight, Schumacher snuck past Barrichello, moving up into fifth. Räikkönen made a punchy move on lap 13 to snatch second place from Fisichella, with the Finn finally being able to chase down Alonso. Whilst the McLaren was catching up, Alonso remained a healthy 25 seconds ahead of championship rival, Schumacher. On lap 14, the German managed to pass Button for fourth. But the weather was once again starting to come into play. With the track now drying rapidly, the wet-weather advantage held by the Michelin runners was quickly disappearing.
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Middle Stint
Just five laps later, on lap 19, Schumacher had caught up to the back of Fisichella. The pair were also gaining on Alsonso, who had been fighting to keep his Renault on the track as his tyres began to reach the end of their life. Räikkönen’s McLaren came to a spluttering stop on the same lap, with a mechanical failure forcing him to retire from the race.
Schumacher pitted on lap 21, with Ferrari looking to capitalise Renault’s communication issues. Race leader Alonso also came into the pits at the end of the same lap, with teammate Fisichella following suit two laps later. Both Schumacher and Fisichella opted to remain on the same tyres, hoping that the worn-down intermediate tread would carry them toward the ever-looming change to dry tyres. Meanwhile, Alonso went for the opposite, putting a new pair of intermediates on the front of his car. Fisichella fed back out onto the track ahead of Schumacher, with both cars still chasing the lead Renault. Alonso’s 20-second lead vanished within a few laps, with his pit stop gamble seemingly not paying off.
Late Stage Drama
The next few laps passed with little incident. Kubica was the first to jump onto dry tyres on lap 24, but it proved to be too early of a switch as he struggled to get the tyres up to temperature, dropping positions in quick succession and spinning wide off the track. It was at the end of lap 29 when the inevitable began to happen. Fisichella passed Alonso, leaving him to defend himself from the Ferrari. On lap 30, Schumacher went up the inside of Alonso on Turn 2, snatching second place.
Alonso was dropping further and further away from the two front-runners. Track conditions had improved so much that several drivers had pitted for dry tyres and were comfortably able to handle their cars on track. On lap 35, Alonso came in to make the same switch, but it would only add to the Spaniard’s woes. The pit stop was painfully slow, with a wheel nut issue resulting in the Renault being stationary for 19.2 seconds. This fed Alonso back out into fourth position, now a colossal 50 seconds off the lead.
The Final Chase
Schumacher came in to finally switch to dry tyres on lap 40, with Fisichella opting to stay out for one more lap. When the race leader did pit on Lap 41 and rejoined the track, he had maintained his lead over Schumacher. However, with colder tyres than the Ferrari, Fisichella went wide at the first corner, allowing Schumacher to effortlessly sweep through to take the lead. Crucially, Alonso had managed to switch his tyres on, setting fastest lap after fastest lap and closing in on his teammate at a rate of knots. On Lap 48, Fisichella couldn’t keep Alonso behind him any longer, letting him pass by without much of a fight.
The chase was on, with Alonso now steaming forwards and closing the gap between himself and Schumacher. Unfortunately, time was not on his side, and he ran out of laps before he could catch the Ferrari. Michael Schumacher crossed the line in first place, claiming an incredible 91st race win.
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Final Thoughts
Schumacher delivered a textbook drive during the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix. Little did the world know that they had just witnessed his final ever race victory. Alonso had a stellar recovery towards the end of the race, securing vital points that left him tied with Schumacher in their championship fight. And there were only two races left in the season to take ultimate glory. Alonso ultimately claimed his second Driver’s World Championship in 2006, whilst Schumacher retired at the end of the season (although he made a surprise return to the grid in 2010).
Which Chinese Grand Prix do you think is a race to remember? Let us know in the comments!