For most people reading this, the Chinese Grand Prix is a home grand prix, a source of great pride for the Chinese themselves and great happiness for those lucky enough to have a ticket.
But spare a thought for the teams. Every one of them are based in Europe. This is most definitely an away game for them, although unlike football, there's no home team. It's what's known in the business as a 'fly-away' race.
Everything a team needs is packed up and put on to a plane. The fleet of transporter lorries that normally ferry the teams across Europe are left in the parking bays at home. The teams aren't exactly travelling light, mind you. McLaren, like most teams, arrived in Shanghai direct from the last race in Japan. They've packed 26 tonnes of equipment for this rather large adventure.
The excess luggage includes three cars (like any good boy scout troop, the team travel prepared with a spare car in case of mishaps). The cars are shipped complete, except for things like the front and rear wings, the steering wheel and the wing mirrors, which are put back on in the pits. There are three spare gearboxes, two of which already have the rear suspension attached. Six Mercedes engines are included - three in the cars, and three spare units.
Don't forget the people either - 95 are in China for McLaren. They range from the team's technical director to the chefs keeping everyone else fed. That means 80 hotel rooms have been booked. Multiply this logistics effort by the 10 teams on the grid and you get some idea of the effort - and cost - needed to compete at the highest level of motor sport.
The people are the easiest to get around the world, be it by scheduled flight or the luxury of private jet. The equipment takes a little more ingenuity. McLaren's equipment is packed into 'igloos'. These are metal containers measuring three metres by two metres, which will take up to five-and-a-half tonnes of equipment each.