The 2018 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season continues this weekend with the Heineken Chinese Grand Prix at the 5.451-kilometer (3.387-mile) Shanghai International Circuit. Twenty cars are entered, including four for former race winners: Sebastien Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.
Here’s a look at some interesting statistics and tidbits heading into race day.
Chinese Grand Prix – Track/Event (Overall)
- This is the 15th running of the Chinese Grand Prix. Rubens Barrichello won the inaugural race in 2004.
- In total, eight drivers have won at least one Chinese Grand Prix: Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg.
- British drivers have won the Chinese Grand Prix six times, followed by the Germany (four); Spain (two); Finland (one) and Brazil (one).
Chinese Grand Prix – As Part of the Formula 1 World Championship
- This weekend’s race marks the 15th Chinese Grand Prix as part of the Formula 1 World Championship. Rubens Barrichello won the inaugural race in 2004.
- This is the seventh time, and first since 2016, that the Chinese Grand Prix serves as the third race of an F1 season. The Chinese Grand Prix had been run toward the end of the season from 2004 to 2008, before being moved toward the beginning of the season for 2009.
- The Chinese Grand Prix has served as a good indicator of those who will compete for the season championship. In 14 previous runnings, the winner of the Chinese Grand Prix has gone on to win the championship seven times: Fernando Alonso (2005); Kimi Raikkonen (2007); Lewis Hamilton (2008, 2014, 2015 and 2017); and Nico Rosberg (2016). Each of the last four Chinese Grand Prix winners have gone on to win the title.
- The winner of the Chinese Grand Prix has won from the pole position nine times, the front row 10 times and the front two rows 13 of 14 times. Michael Schumacher won the race from the furthest back, sixth, in 2006.
- A total of 17 drivers have led the Chinese Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton leads all drivers in races led (seven) and laps led (250).
- Fernando Alonso (2005) and Lewis Hamilton (2014 and 2017) are the only drivers to lead every lap of a race. The only race that didn’t go 56 laps in the event’s history was in 2014, which saw 54 laps contested due an error in scoring.
- The record for most drivers to lead a lap in the Chinese Grand Prix was six, in 2011 and 2013.
- The average number of leaders per race in the Chinese Grand Prix is 2.86.
- Lewis Hamilton led every lap of the 2017 race, but did not lead a lap in 2016. Therefore, he holds the consecutive races streak in the race at one.
- Lewis Hamilton holds the record for fewest laps led in a victory, with six in the 2011 victory.
- Fernando Alonso led 28 laps in the 2006 race, the most laps led of a driver who did not win the race; he finished second.
- Rubens Barrichello’s victory in 2004 came at a record pace of 205.313 kph (127.576 mph). That marked the only race that averaged more than 200 kph.
- Twelve of the 14 Chinese Grand Prix have been won by the driver who led the most laps. The two exceptions were 2006 (Michael Schumacher won and Fernando Alonso led the most laps) and 2011 (Lewis Hamilton won and Sebastian Vettel led the most laps).
Chinese Grand Prix – Drivers/Manufacturers
- No driver has ever scored their only career F1 victory in China.
- Rubens Barrichello is the only Chinese Grand Prix winner not to win an F1 title (won the race in 2004).
- Lewis Hamilton is the only driver to win the race in consecutive seasons, in 2014 and 2015.
- Nico Rosberg holds the record for largest margin of victory in the Chinese Grand Prix at 37.776 seconds, over Sebastian Vettel.
- Lewis Hamilton won the 2015 race by only .0714 seconds, the closest margin of victory, over teammate Nico Rosberg.
- Mercedes holds the record for most victories for an constructor at China: five. Ferrari has four, McLaren has three and Renault and Red Bull-Renault have one each.
Chinese Grand Prix – 2018 Entry List
- Four former race winners are entered in this year’s Chinese Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso (2005 and 2013); Kimi Raikkonen (2007); Sebastian Vettel (2009); and Lewis Hamilton (2008, 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2017).
- Fourteen countries/nationalities are represented in this weekend’s race: France (4), Germany (2), Spain (2), Finland (2), Great Britain (1), Australia (1), Netherlands (1), Mexico (1), Canada (1), Russia (1), New Zealand (1), Denmark (1), Belgium (1) and Sweden (1).
- KimI Raikkonen is the oldest driver entered at 38 years, five months and 29 days (as of race day). Lance Stroll is the youngest driver entered at 19 years, five months and 17 days (as of race day).
Formula 1 Random Statistics – Current Drivers
- Sebastian Vettel is the most recent driver to win back-to-back in Formula 1 competition, having won both the Australian and Bahrain Grand Prix this season. The last driver to win three consecutive races was Lewis Hamilton, who won the Belgian, Italian and Singapore Grand Prix in 2017.
- The Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport team is the only team to lead laps in each of the last four Formula 1 grand prix.
- Max Verstappen is the last driver to lead every lap of an F1 grand prix, doing so in the 2017 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Post-Qualifying Stats
- Sebastian Vettel scored his 52nd career pole position Saturday. It was his second of the season and fourth at China, and first at the track since 2011 (also on pole in 2009 and 2010). In each of Vettel’s three pole-winning efforts at China, he went on to win the championship.
- Vettel is joined on the front row by Kimi Raikkonen. This marks the second consecutive race that Ferrari has swept the front row.
- Mercedes teammates Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton earned third and fourth.
Upcoming Milestones
- Valtteri Bottas is competing in his 100th Formula 1 grand prix this weekend.
- Fernando Alonso is seven races away from 300 Formula 1 grand prix.
- Lewis Hamilton is two pole positions away from 75 in his career.
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