The cancelled F1 Chinese GP’s greatest moments

For the fourth consecutive year, F1’s Chinese Grand Prix has been cancelled as China continues to wrestle with COVID-19 lockdowns.

Following the 2023 round’s cancellation last December, F1 decided not to replace the Shanghai round, opening up a four-week gap between Australia and Azerbaijan on an already packed 23-round calendar.

A regular fixture on the F1 calendar from its inception in 2004 until 2019, the race at the Shanghai International Circuit has been the scene of some of the most memorable moments in the championship in recent years.

2006: Schumacher’s last win

Before Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes forged a devastating partnership, few would have predicted Michael Schumacher’s win tally would ever be beaten and his 91th and final victory came at an intriguing 2006 Chinese GP.

In mixed conditions Schumacher defeated both Renaults of Giancarlo Fisichella and his title rival Fernando Alonso to take the win for Ferrari, which would prove to be his last. 

At the time he moved level on points with Alonso with just two rounds to go, as Shanghai hosted the 16th round of the season. But the German was unable to keep Alonso from a second consecutive title before he bowed out of the sport a first time.

2007: Hamilton’s rookie anguish

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren MP4-22 Mercedes

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

As Schumacher retired, rookie Hamilton took the F1 world by storm the following year. The Briton remained unfazed alongside Alonso at McLaren and went into the Shanghai round, the penultimate race, with a 12-point lead (and just 10 points on offer for the winner).

But in a chaotic rain race, Hamilton ran into trouble when he stayed out on a drying track on heavily worn rain tyres, hoping for more rain to arrive. Eventually he relented, but on his shredded rubber he went off the road in the agonisingly slow left-hander at pit exit and retired in the gravel trap. 

A crestfallen Hamilton saw a major chance to seal the title evaporate, and in view of the memorable season finale in Brazil his Shanghai slip-up proved extremely costly.

2009: Red Bulls rising

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing RB5

Photo by: Sutton Images

Amid a 2023 season that is set to be dominated by Red Bull, the Milton Keynes team’s first win feels like ages ago. It was 14 years, to be precise, when it broke its duck…