Everything You Need To Know About Attending the 2025 Chinese GP

Formula 1 returns to Shanghai for the second round of the 2025 season. Here’s everything you need to know about attending the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix.

After a five-year absence, the Chinese Grand Prix made a popular return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2024. Max Verstappen took victories in both the F1 Sprint and main race proper, his first at Shanghai International Circuit. It was the 26th race track where Verstappen has won in Formula 1. Zhou Guanyu became the first Chinese driver to race on home soil in Formula 1, finishing in 14th place. Unsurprisingly, tickets for the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix were in high demand, especially from the local market. Tickets sold out quickly and were very hard to come by for international fans. Tickets are not yet on sale for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix.

Heading to China for the first time? All the essential travel information you need can be found in Travel Basics.

First F1 Sprint of the Year in 2025

The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix will be the second race of the new season, one week after the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and the first F1 Sprint weekend of the year. Sprint Qualifying will take place after a single hour of Free Practice on Friday afternoon, before the Sprint itself takes place on Saturday morning. Attention then switches to the main event, with Qualifying on Saturday afternoon to set the grid for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix which follows, as usual, on Sunday.

Finding a Place to Stay in Shanghai

There’s somewhere to stay for everyone’s budget in China’s largest city, which boasts everything from youth hostels to 5-star international hotels. While there are some hotels in the Jiading district close to the circuit, we recommend staying in downtown Shanghai to enjoy the best of this cosmopolitan city. The best downtown areas to stay include Nanjing Road, People’s Square and The Bund. Easy access to a metro station is also recommended, as there are direct trains to Shanghai International Circuit. Learn More: Where to Stay for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix

The Cheapest Tickets Of The Season

Tickets are not yet on sale for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, though Paddock Club hospitality tickets are already on sale via F1 Experiences.

Tickets for the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix were very hard to come by for international visitors, having not gone on sale until a few months before race weekend. The organizers also didn’t sell tickets for all spectator areas at the circuit, which can hold up to 200,000 fans. The majority of tickets for the race were snapped up by eager local fans who had not been able to attend a race for five years, and were also out in force to support the first Chinese F1 driver on the grid, Zhou Guanyu, In 2024, the Chinese Grand Prix became the first F1 race to use facial recognition technology for entry to the track and grandstand areas.

The Chinese Grand Prix ranked as the cheapest F1 race to attend in the 2024 season, with the average cost of 3-day ticket prices coming in at just under $200 USD. At just $67, General Admission tickets were the cheapest offered at any of this year’s 2024 races, while the cheapest 3-day grandstand seats can be found in Grandstands H and K, priced at $208 – the fifth cheapest of the year.

Attendance Figures

Official attendance figures were not published for the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, though 3-day attendance was unofficially reported at 175,000 fans, an increase of 15,000 fans on the last race in China five years earlier. It must be noted, however, that tickets were not sold for all the different grandstand and general admission areas at the circuit, which can theoretically hold up to 200,000 fans per day.

How Much Will a Trip to the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix Cost?

Ticket prices have not yet been published for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. We estimated that the average fan will spend around $545 USD on a trip to the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix. That price includes a 3-day grandstand seat, a 3 night stay in a hotel in central Shanghai, plus daily spending money. Budget Planner has a full breakdown on how much you can expect to spend on a weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Getting to Shanghai International Circuit

Shanghai International Circuit is located 35km from downtown Shanghai and is well linked by major highways. The easiest way to travel from the city centre to the track is to use the metro, while taxi, private car or shuttle bus are other viable options. If traveling by road, be prepared to be caught up in the race weekend traffic.Make sure you’ve planned your journey ahead of the event! Learn More: How to Get to Shanghai for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix

Trackside at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix

As we’ve already mentioned, the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix is host to the first Sprint race of the season, meaning trackside fans get an extra slice of on-track racing on Saturday. Support categories have not yet been announced for the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. (In 2024, support categories were the Chinese F4 Championship and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Championship, both of which raced twice.) For more details on gate opening times, the on-track timetable, prohibited items and more tips to get the most out of your visit, read this post: Trackside at Shanghai Circuit – 2025 Chinese Grand Prix

Exploring Shanghai at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix

The Chinese Grand Prix takes place at the Shanghai International Circuit, located in the sprawling suburbs of Shanghai, the most-populated city in the world. The circuit seems as futuristic now as it did when it first appeared on the calendar, with its imposing grandstand and pit complex, paired with the twisting nature of the track – which often allows for great wheel-to-wheel action!

Shanghai’s population has grown by over ten million since Formula 1 first visited the track in 2004. The city is a multicultural metropolis, and there are activities to cater for everyone in Shanghai itself and the surrounding area. We’ve rounded up the best places to visit on your Chinese Grand Prix trip, from the famous Bund to sampling Shanghai’s nightlife, in Off-Track Activities.