About Formula 1

The 2012 Formula UBS Chinese Grand Prix is sure to be an exciting weekend for F1 aficionados and amateur fans alike, with the most advanced racing technology in the world ensuring a stunning display of mechanical prowess. The event kicks off on Friday April 13th, with two practice sessions for the drivers to get a feel for how their horseless-chariots are running in the muggy Chinese air, and closes two days later after Sunday's big race.

For those not in the know, F1 cars are the single-seater, open-cockpit, low-lying rocketship-lookin' things with the gigantic tires and the deafening engines. Unlike their NASCAR brethren, the cars of Formula 1 engage in a number of treacherous turns in battle, each more fierce than the last, more often than not emerging victorious (over the turns; there is, of course, only one winner per race). These battles are always exciting, as the cars barrel into turns and take them at incredible speeds, and the Shanghai F1 race promises to offer some of the most memorable moments of the year; the Shanghai F1 circuit has the longest straightaway of any track that hosts an F1 Grand Prix event. And that straightaway is immediately followed by a 180 degree turn.

Formula 1 history

The name Formula 1 comes from the regulations that govern the cars, teams and drivers that participate in the worldwide racing circuit that is the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The rules enforced on the circuit are governed by the FIA, a non-profit organization that has existed for over a hundred years for the purpose of regulating motorsports. The original Formula 1 guidelines were defined in 1946, and the inaugural Formula 1 season was in 1950. While the rules have fluctuated over the years, it has remained the absolute pinnacle of four-wheeled motorsports, with mind-bending speeds, gravity-defying turns and the occasional horrifying crash.

Formula 1 in China

While the Chinese government had been aiming to host a Formula 1 event in China as early as the 1990s, it didn't become a reality until 2004. When the Zhuhai International Circuit opened in 1996, hosting a Formula 1 event was the ultimate goal; in 1999, the track was provisionally added to the Formula 1 schedule but was removed after the FIA deemed the track unsuitable and not up to FIA standards for Grand Prix events. The 2004 completion and subsequent Grand Prix in Shanghai marked the beginning of a ongoing relationship between Formula 1 and China that still lasts today.

But it hasn't been all ribbon cuttings and award ceremonies. In 2007, a former manager of the circuit was found guilty of embezzling funds and being involved in a pension scandal that reverberated across Shanghai. In the years since, rumors have flown around Formula 1 message boards alleging that the track is sinking; indeed, the circuit was built on reclaimed marshland (the process resulted in the most expensive Formula 1 track ever), and the FIA returns each year to ensure that the track is good shape prior to each race.

In February of 2011, the concerned parties reached another agreement and Shanghaiwill host the China Formula 1 event until at least 2017 (barring some unforeseen event, like the marshland swallowing the track whole, which seems, at the time of writing, unlikely). So pack some earplugs, a couple of cold ones and trek to northern Shanghai this April for the annual Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix. It's sure to be a heckuva' race.

 

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