For Rounds 11 and 12 of Season 10, Formula E visits Shanghai for the first time. Formula E has visited China before, they raced in Beijing during Seasons 1 and 2 and in Sanya during Season 5. This is the first time Formula E will visit China to compete on a permanent circuit with the Shanghai International Circuit.

When viewed from above, the full circuit layout takes inspiration from the Chinese symbol ‘shang’. The track was designed by Herman Tilke and opened in 2004 for Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix and will now host Formula E some 20 years later.

An aerial view of Shanghai International Circuit (© FIA Formula E)

Formula E will race on a shortened layout skipping the backstretch and instead taking a slight kink left at the turn 9 hairpin. Before returning to the normal layout just after what would be turn 16. The shortcut includes a chicane which marks turns 10 and 11 before the sharp right-hander of turn 12 goes back to the main straight.

The race is set to be Formula E’s most extreme energy-saving race yet, with qualifying likely to mean nothing except the three points given to the pole sitter. Drivers will want to stay away from the lead during the first half of the race, which might prove tricky at the tight sequence between turns 1 and 4.

McLaren’s Sam Bird returns to Formula E after sitting out the Monaco and Berlin rounds due to an injury sustained during Monaco E-Prix Practice. His replacement Taylor Barnard, became the youngest-ever Formula E driver and the youngest point scorer as he finished in the points during both Berlin races.

Sam Bird, NEOM McLaren Formula E Team (©Sam Bloxham / FIA Formula E)

Envision’s Robin Frijns and Sébastien Buemi, ABT Cupra’s Nico Müller, and Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries return to the grid after missing the Berlin round due to a clash with the World Endurance Championship.

What to look out for?

Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy leads the championship after taking a win and a podium at the doubleheader in Berlin earlier this month. Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein is 16 points behind him and Nissan’s Oliver Rowland is only 6 points behind Wehrlein following two second places in Berlin.

Nick Cassidy, Jaguar TCS Racing, 1st position, on the podium at the Berlin E-Prix ( ©Sam Bloxham / FIA Formula E)

Oliver Rowland has proven exceptional at these slipstream-style races. He’s taken podiums and a win during all of them except for the second Misano E-Prix where he retired during the last lap with a technical issue while in the lead.

Track Layout:

Past Winners

N/A – New Track

Race Info:

• Race Length: 29 Laps (R1), 28 Laps (R2)
• Turns: 12
• Attack Mode Place: T2
• Attack Mode: 6 Minutes
• Track Length: 3.051 km