In the week leading up to the F1 Chinese Grand Prix, several events were dotted all the way around Shanghai for fans to enjoy. Whether it be Charles Leclerc hosting a live stream for Puma at a pop-up store designed like an F1 car; an Aston Martin on display at a Glenfiddich sponsored event or even the Shanghai fan festival downtown on the picturesque area of the Bund – F1 was everywhere in the multicultural city
Pit Debrief was in the grandstand at this year’s F1 Chinese Grand Prix. As well as this, we were invited to a range of activities around the city of Shanghai in the build up to the Grand Prix. Many had assumed the race weekend would be a low-key affair as hometown hero Zhou Guanyu was not on the starting grid. However, with F1 experiencing unprecedented global levels of popularity, the presence of F1 in Shanghai was even greater this time around.
Puma’s eye-catching racing car pop-up
First up was an exclusive tour of Puma’s eye-catching racing car pop-up. The order of the day was promoting the brand’s new Chinese themed line of race wear clothing. In the minutes prior to this, Charles Leclerc had been on a Puma livestream to help sell the new range whilst also discussing his love of Chinese culture. The Monegasque racer would also demonstrate how to draw different Mandarin characters.
Leclerc is a fan-favourite as shown by the hundreds of fans outside hoping to catch a glimpse of the superstar. However, Ferrari now have Lewis Hamilton in their ranks. In China, there is no bigger F1 star. Team LH China fills the grandstand opposite their hero’s garage without fail at every Chinese F1 GP he participates in. Having won the Shanghai based 1000th F1 GP, in 2019, Hamilton has certainly made plenty of history on Chinese soil.
Having roared Hamilton to Sprint pole on Friday and then cheered the former Mercedes man to Sprint victory on Saturday, the Tifosi in Shanghai stayed until the very end of Sunday’s race day. Unfortunately, having done so, they were privy to seeing a host of FIA personnel examining the cars of their team up close. Little did they know then that these would be the inspections which would see a double disqualification for the Maranello based F1 team.
Extreme levels of passion
Next up, on the F1 calendar, is the Japanese Grand Prix. This event is well known for its super fans with extreme levels of passion. However, the scenes in Shanghai this past weekend may well rival what will be seen in Suzuka. Ever since the drivers landed at Shanghai’s Hongkou Airport, they were mobbed in the arrival lounge. A particularly memorable scene being the viral moment of Carlos Sainz looking for his driver and the fans pointing out to the Spaniard where he was waiting.
Not only this, but the level of fandom at the track extended to homemade merchandise being traded between fans. In the lull of a packed early morning fan stage, there would be a Chinese cry asking who wants free driver images and postcards. Following this announcement, fans would raise their hands in the hope of receiving a treat before the next driver appearance on stage.
Pit Debrief was given a pair of Mercedes postcards. One of which showed George Russell as a knight. Meanwhile, we were also handed a creative animation called ‘Zhottas’. This portrayed Sauber’s 2024 teammates Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas as superheroes and was unsurprisingly a very popular freebie.
At this stage, the lack of team rivalry came to the fore. In this figurative mosh pit of fans there was no negativity towards rivals. Fans would regularly be seen in a range of different teamwear supporting a host of drivers. This is how F1 should be. No booing, no aggressive obsession at being anti other teams and fan bases – no fear for anyone. The respect, adoration and joy the event brought was evident.
The hometown hero
Last year, Zhou Guanyu became the first Chinese driver to compete in the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix. The 2024 event was a sellout. Zhou’s face was plastered all around the city. Last year, the organiser even went so far as to give the Sauber driver his own parking spot on the grid at the end of the race for him to take in the adoration of his home crowd.
Anyone who expected 2025 to be a low-key affair for the hometown hero would be sadly mistaken. Instead, Zhou had capacity crowds at the Saturday fan stage; appearances on the grid with celebrities and his own Ferrari on race day trailing behind the Drivers’ Parade. All of this clearly demonstrated the impact the presence of Zhou Guanyu has on the sport in China.
Had Cadillac been watching, they would see how brightly this Chinese megastar is shining. One can imagine with Zhou behind the wheel of their F1 car in 2026, it would certainly do their car sales no harm in the People’s Republic of China.
F1 paid tribute to Eddie Jordan
The race also brought a somber occasion as well. F1 paid tribute to Eddie Jordan. The unforgettable team owner and much-loved pundit sadly passed away after battling cancer. The drivers came out onto the grid with the team principals and were met with a roar from the crowd. Then when the face of Jordan was shown and the music from U2 accompanied the tributes, a hush fell around the grandstand. A beautiful tribute to an irreplaceable figure from the sport.
The Chinese F1 Grand Prix continues to be a wonderful occasion for fans. The race itself will be forgotten long before the experience. Oscar Piastri’s victory from pole was one of strategy rather than wheel to wheel racing. Even so, Shanghai embraced the pinnacle of motorsport like never before. One thing is clear, the city cannot wait to welcome F1 back next year.
