Trackside at Shanghai Circuit – 2025 Chinese Grand Prix

Useful information about Shanghai International Circuit for fans attending the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, including the full on-track schedule

Shanghai’s circuit is an impressive facility, capable of accommodating around 200,000 fans. The 2019 Chinese Grand Prix made history as the 1000th Formula 1 race since the advent of the modern World Championship in 1950 and was a sell out for the first time since the inaugural race in 2004. China finally returned to the F1 calendar in 2024 after a five year absence due to the pandemic. Tickets sold out very quickly to mainly Chinese buyers, though the race did not run at anywhere near the circuit’s capacity of up to 200,000 fans per day. Despite Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu not being on the grid this year, tickets for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix have been in equally high demand. F1’s sprint format returns at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. The full weekend timetable has now been published for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix and is listed below.

Shanghai Circuit: Access & Orientation

For more information on getting to the track, read the Getting There & Around section of this guide. If you have taken the metro to the circuit as we recommend, getting inside the circuit after you have alighted at the Shanghai Circuit metro stop is easy and the way is well signposted. The closest entrance is through Gate 1, behind the main grandstand. Gate 11 (behind grandstand K) is also just a few minutes walk from the metro station.

Need to Know: Shanghai International Circuit

Check Weather Forecast: Rain is common in Shanghai on race weekend. Don’t forget to check the weather forecast and be prepared before heading to the track, even if you have seats in one of the covered grandstands

Entry Restrictions (Prohibited Items): Long-handled umbrellas, flagpoles, unmanned aerial vehicles, public address equipment, unauthorized professional photographic equipment and triangular brackets are amongst the prohibited items at Shanghai Circuit. Entry restrictions are TBC for 2025.

Track Invasion: Fans have not been allowed on to the track after recent editions of the Chinese GP. If you don’t want to miss the podium celebrations after the race, you will need to have a seat in the Main grandstand.

Taking the Metro: The metro can get very congested, particularly when leaving the circuit on Sunday after the race. Be patient or stay a little longer to avoid the peak crowds.

2025 Chinese Grand Prix Schedule

On-Track Schedule: The full on-track timetable for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix has now been confirmed and is listed in full below. Check F1.com for updates.

Sprint Race: Shanghai Circuit will host the first of six F1 Sprint events in 2025

Support Categories: The all-female F1 Academy series will stage the first race of its third season at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. Additional support categories are the SRO GT Cup – Greater Bay Area GT Cup and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.

Concerts: A number of trackside concerts took place at last year’s race as part of the ‘Checkered Flag Music Carnival.’ The biggest name on the line-up was Martin Garrix, who headlined after qualifying on Saturday. Separate tickets were required for the music festival. The Checkered Flag Music Festival returns in 2025, but more information is not yet available.

Pit Lane Walk: Recent editions of the Chinese Grand Prix have not featured a pit lane walk on Thursday for regular ticket holders. F1 Experiences Starter ticket packages include an Exclusive Pit Lane Walk and Guided Track Tour on Thursday afternoon. Guests in the F1 Paddock Club can take part in daily pit lane walks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday, March 21

08:15-08:40: SRO GT Cup – Greater Bay Area GT Cup – First Practice Session

09:05-09:50: F1 Academy – Practice Session

10:00-11:00: Paddock Club – Track Tour & Pit Lane Walk

11:30-12:30: Formula 1 – Free Practice 1

12:55-13:40: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia – Practice Session

14:05-14:35: F1 Academy – Qualifying Session

14:40-15:10: Paddock Club – Track Tour & Pit Lane Walk

15:30-16:14: Formula 1 – Sprint Qualifying

17:00-17:25: SRO GT Cup – Greater Bay Area GT Cup – Second Practice Session

17:45-19:15: F1 Experiences – Track Tour, Trophy Photo & Pit Lane Walk

Saturday, March 22

08:15-08:40: SRO GT Cup – Greater Bay Area GT Cup – Qualifying Session

09:10-09:40: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia – Qualifying Session

11:00-11:30: Formula 1 – Sprint Race (19 laps or 60 minutes)

11:40-12:10: Paddock Club – Track Tour & Pit Lane Walk

12:30-13:05: SRO GT Cup – Greater Bay Area GT Cup – First Race (30 minutes +1 Lap)

13:50-14:25: F1 Academy – First Race (13 Laps or 30 minutes + 1 lap)

15:00-16:00: Formula 1 – Qualifying

16:55-17:30: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia – First Race (13 Laps or 30 minutes)

17:40-18:40: Paddock Club – Track Tour & Pit Lane Walk

Sunday, March 23

09:20-09:55: SRO GT Cup – Greater Bay Area GT Cup – Second Race (30 minutes +1 Lap)

10:45-11:20: F1 Academy – Second Race (13 Laps or 30 minutes + 1 lap)

12:00-12:35: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia – Second Race (13 laps or 30 minutes)

12:55-13:55: Paddock Club – Track Tour & Pit Lane Walk

13:00-13:30: Formula 1 – Drivers’ Parade

13:35-13:50: Opening Show

14:46-14:48: National Anthem

15:00-17:00: Formula 1 Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2025 (56 laps or 2 hours)

Shanghai Circuit Facilities

The trackside facilities are generally good. Food and drink is not expensive by F1 standards, though fans have complained about both the lack of choice and the fact that there are just not enough places to buy food and drink. The situation was improved in 2024 when a secondary area was available (closer to the circuit’s metro station) that offered a much better choice of food and drink options. At the concessions behind each of the grandstands, a 500ml Heineken draft beer cost 40 RMB ($5.50 USD), soft drinks and water cost 10 RMB ($1.40 USD). Meals were priced from 15-40 RMB. See below for prices and available food and drink.

This lack of choice also applies to merchandise; there is a limited offer in China. For circuit-specific merchandise, there’s a shop on the ground level of Grandstand A, closer to the last corner end of the grandstand. All of the grandstands at Shanghai International Circuit are permanent structures and there’s ample toilets on the ground level. In the larger Grandstand A, there’s also additional toilets on several levels of the grandstand. First aid points are also located in Grandstand A. Additional temporary toilets (clean and high standard) are available throughout the fan zone and behind each grandstand. A foreign exchange point is also located behind Grandstand A.

Checkered Flag Festival 2025

For the first time last year, a music festival was held at the circuit on race weekend. Dutch DJ Martin Garrix was the best known performer. Tickets sold out very quickly. It’s been announced that the Checkered Flag Festival will be returning this year at the circuit and also in downtown Shanghai at the North Bund International Passenger Center. The festival runs from March 16-23. No other information is available at this stage. An ‘Auto Culture Festival’ was also held at the track on race weekend last year, but it’s not yet known if this will return during the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix.