bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Unus Alladin

Engineers and architects plotting the construction of the Shanghai International Circuit nearly three years ago latched on to a significant thread of symbolism as they weighed options for the shape of the track.

They found the most favourable shape to closely resemble one of the most significant Chinese characters, 'Shang', meaning 'to rise', 'high' or 'above', conveniently coinciding with the creators' aspirations for the venue.

According to the blueprint of German firm Tilke Engineering & Architecture, which designed the 5.4km track, 'Shang' also means 'Speeding with Shanghai'.

'As we were working on the design, we suddenly realised it looked a bit like a Shang and so we developed the idea,' said German racetrack engineer Hermann Tilke.

The track at the 2.64 billion yuan facility offers plenty of chances for overtaking, maximising the chances of watching enthralling races - injecting even more life into the high-octane action.

'The circuit was designed with overtaking in mind,' says Tilke. 'We've included slow corners as well as fast corners, which will make it much more difficult for the teams to decide on a team strategy.'

There is a maximum uphill slope of three per cent and a maximum downhill of eight per cent.

Tilke went into great detail perfecting the track, right down to the use of red and yellow colour schemes. In Chinese culture, red symbolises good luck or fortune, while yellow gives the track and an aura of power - two vital elements for riders. The stands are built in the shape of lotus flower leaves, typically Chinese, but also balancing technology with nature.

'There are lots of fast and medium-to-fast corners as well as two other corners which present a real challenge,' he said.



Shang - shape and ambition in harmony