Race Ready: China F1 Schedule and Travel Guide

Welcome to the Race Ready for the Chinese F1 Grand Prix in Shanghai from 13-15 March 2026.

We’re here to ensure you have all the information available at your fingertips to enable you to get the most out of your live motorsport experience.

Important ticket information: there won’t be any e-tickets or physical tickets for this race. all tickets will be linked to each attendee’s passport essentially. This is why we have been collecting this information from customers. We will be sending our customers an email with a link from the circuit where they must register an account for each individual patron and complete the process once logged in to complete the final step of linking their ticket to their identity. Remember to take your passport with you to the circuit!

Official 2026 Chinese F1 Grand Prix tickets here.

Table of Contents

Chinese F1 Grand Prix weekend schedule

Support races at the Chinese F1 Grand Prix

Shanghai International Circuit Map

Shanghai International Circuit Track Stats

Getting to Shanghai International Circuit

Where to stay at the Chinese F1 Grand Prix

Important Information

Chinese F1 Grand Prix weekend schedule

The FIA have confirmed that China will host a Sprint Race for the third straight year in 2026. Lewis Hamilton triumphed in the 2025 Sprint Race to take both his and Ferrari’s first ever victory in the format – will he be able to repeat the feat this time round?

Below is the full schedule for the 2026 Chinese F1 Grand Prix.

FRIDAY 13 MARCH

LOCAL TIME (GMT+8) | UK TIME (GMT) | SERIES | SESSION
08:20 | 00:20 | SRO GT CUP | FIRST PRACTICE SESSION
09:10 | 01:10 | F1 ACADEMY | PRACTICE SESSION
11:30 | 03:30 | FORMULA 1 | FIRST PRACTICE SESSION
12:55 | 04:55 | PORSCHE CARRERA CUP ASIA | PRACTICE SESSION
14:05 | 06:05 | F1 ACADEMY | QUALIFYING SESSION
15:30 | 07:30 | FORMULA 1 | SPRINT QUALIFYING
17:00 | 09:00 | SRO GT CUP | SECOND PRACTICE SESSION

SATURDAY 14 MARCH

LOCAL TIME (GMT+8) | UK TIME (GMT) | SERIES | SESSION
08:15 | 00:15 | SRO GT CUP | QUALIFYING SESSION
09:10 | 01:10 | PORSCHE CARRERA CUP ASIA | QUALIFYING SESSION
11:00 | 03:00 | FORMULA 1 | SPRINT RACE
12:25 | 04:25 | SRO GT CUP | FIRST RACE
13:45 | 05:45 | F1 ACADEMY | FIRST RACE
15:00 | 07:00 | FORMULA 1 | QUALIFYING
16:55 | 08:55 | PORSCHE CARRERA CUP ASIA | FIRST RACE

SUNDAY 15 MARCH

LOCAL TIME (GMT+8) | UK TIME (GMT) | SERIES | SESSION
09:10 | 01:10 | SRO GT CUP | SECOND RACE
10:40 | 02:40 | F1 ACADEMY | SECOND RACE
11:55 | 03:55 | PORSCHE CARRERA CUP ASIA | SECOND RACE
15:00 | 07:00 | FORMULA 1 | GRAND PRIX

Support races at the Chinese F1 Grand Prix

China will host a Sprint Race once again this year, marking the third consecutive year in which it will do so.

2026 F1 Sprint Races: Everything you need to know

Shanghai International Circuit Map

Use our handy track map to plan your trip as best you can. You can download the image or take a screenshot to have it to hand during the Grand Prix weekend.

Shanghai International Circuit Track Stats

SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT | TRACK STATS
FIRST GRAND PRIX | 2004
LAP LENGTH | 5.451km
LAP RECORD | 1:32.238 – Michael Schumacher (2004)
LAPS | 56
RACE DISTANCE | 305.066 km
TURNS | 16

Getting to Shanghai International Circuit

Staying in the Jiading District offers convenience in terms of travel as it is relatively near the circuit. The circuit is about 35km from downtown Shanghai and is well connected to major highways. The most efficient way to reach the circuit is by taking the Metro, as it has its own station on Line 11. The journey from the city center to the circuit via Metro takes roughly 60 minutes.

Taking the Metro to Shanghai International Circuit

Be aware that Line 11 splits into two destinations—Huaqiao and North Jiading. Make sure you board a train bound for Huaqiao. The “Shanghai Circuit” station is just a short walk from Gate 1, situated behind the main grandstand (Grandstand A).

It’s advisable to check the circuit map beforehand. In previous years, the station has occasionally been closed on race weekends due to overcrowding. If this happens, you can get off at the next station and take a taxi to the circuit. To avoid large crowds when leaving the venue, a useful trick is to board the train in the opposite direction towards Huaqiao, disembark at the next stop, and then head back toward the city via the circuit.

Click to download the Shanghai Metro map.

Taxi, Private Car, or Shuttle

A taxi ride from downtown to the circuit typically costs between CN¥200-250 (£20-28) with tolls, and takes around an hour when there is no traffic. You can expect much longer journey times on race weekend. It’s advisable to arrange your return pickup in advance to minimise waiting time at the end of the event. Alternatively, you can hire a private car with a driver, with daily rates starting at approximately CN¥700 (£75). Keep in mind that vehicles without a designated parking pass cannot access roads closest to the circuit.

Where to stay at the Chinese F1 Grand Prix

The advantage of a city circuit is that there is usually plenty of accommodation options. Shanghai is the seventh largest city in the world and therefore offers many, very reasonably priced, hotel options.

Here are three examples of hotels close the the Shanghai International Circuit, less than a 30-minute drive from the track, ranging from luxury to budget options:

Sofitel Shanghai Hongqiao (5-star, 28 minutes from Shanghai Int. Circuit)

Courtyard by Marriott Shanghai Jiading (4-star, 19 minutes from Shanghai Int. Circuit)

CYTS Eastern Jiading Hotel Shanghai (3-star, 16 minutes from Shanghai Int. Circuit)

Important Information

Emergencies

110 is the number to call the police

119 is the number to call the fire service

120 is the number to call an ambulance

Good to Know

The local currency is the Chinese Yuan (CNY). The exchange rate is around 1 GBP to 9.20 CNY. All goods and services are paid in the local currency.

The official language is Mandarin Chinese.

Prohibited Items at the Shanghai International Circuit

Customer Service

If you require assistance during the race weekend, feel free to contact our customer service team through the Motorsport Tickets Help Centre.

FAQs

If you have some more queries or would like more information, head over to our FAQs section.

F1 2026 calendar: when do tickets go on sale?