The first Chinese Grand Prix was, overall, a successful event.
Rubens Barrichello started from pole position, lost the lead to Jenson Button for fully 9 laps during the pit stops. His team-mate was nowhere down in 12th, admittedly ahead of his compatriots in the Jordan Fords and, a Minardi and Olivier Panis. Oly's Toyota hardly got away from the grid, and was second last into the first corner, ahead of Schumi. Just think about the budgets there, from Minardi, to Jordan, off up to Toyota and Ferrari.
Then think of the price of the Shanghai facilityˇ Ferrari and Toyota could pay for a dozen before the next Olympics come round. But the organisers in Shanghai are expecting to make back their investment of USD 300 million in ten-twelve years.
The stands were more or less full. Most of these are called temporary stands, being made of scaffolding put into concrete foundations. The permanent grandstand is that along the pit straight, and it is very impressive looking. There are six big screens along the pitlane for fans. Next up from there is the B stand, some of which is well received, but most of which is dogged by poor views of big screens, and a view of just a short section of track as it dives downhill. Other stands get a view of more of the track, but some fans complained that the tall position boards only show the first ten, and with no other information. After the first round of pit stops, you needed binoculars to try and catch the times and positions on a big screen if there was one available, and a lap chart would have been handy too.
On the plus side, programmes cost less than 9 euro, food was very reasonably priced by F1 standards, and the squatter portable toilets were clean.
How do the fans affect the reputation of the race? The most important spectators are in the main grandstand opposite the pits, in the paddock club over the pit garages, or in the hospitality suites in the forward pod-bridge directly over the race track. They are wealthy, and they will be able to see either TV screens with timing or a big screen, and a fair chunk of the track itself, reportedly up to 80%. They affect sponsorship decisions. They are linked with the cash, so they are looked after.
The media influence the reputation of the track, and so Shanghai and China. They are also looked after well. The media centre is in one of the pods over the start finish straight, with over 500 seats and phone and internet connections for each. The international journalists were irritated by two things: the disorganised transport facilities supplied, to bring them from the designated hotels in the city out the hour or so drive to the circuit, and domestic journalists acting boorishly and showing little knowledge of the sport. I'll admit I did the same: completely forgetting myself I poked my microphone in on an interview Eddie Jordan was doing with Speed Channel TV from the US. I shall have to get that nasty rash of uncouth seen toˇ
So overall, the impression has been positive. I'll be compiling some drivers' comments on that for a feature for broadcast on Realtime Beijing during the first week of October, stay tuned for that. There will also be another corner during the week, looking back at other aspects of the first ever Chinese Grand Prix.
(The views here are only personal. They do not
necessarily represent CRI's official policy.)
A young Irishman feeling
the need to go abroad is nothing new: Connor put a new
twist on this old tune by first doing a degree in Chinese,
then going to China, and finally deciding to have opinions.
An F1 fan for fifteen years, he says he wouldn't have
the dedication to work in the sport, but if so he does
a pretty good job of hiding it. Maybe Eddie Jordan has
set the emotional-display bar too high, I mean look at
Kimiˇ
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