Chinese GP packed with thrilling overtaking - Rampf

The "Shanghai International Circuit" is this Sunday's venue for the penultimate Grand Prix of the season. Willy Rampf looks ahead to a track that boasts difficult combinations of turns and many overtaking opportunities.

"The track in Shanghai stands out due to its very special layout," says the Technical Director of the BMW Sauber F1 Team. "A particularly interesting section is the double right-hander, double left-hander combination at the end of the start-finish straight. The drivers approach it with a lot of speed and then stay on the brakes for a long time on entry. This is a very unusual section, which places heavy demands on the tyres."

Rampf believes that Chinese Formula One fans can look forward to a Grand Prix packed with thrilling overtaking manoeuvres. "The long straight offers a good overtaking opportunity, as it feeds into a hairpin and the track is very wide at this point, allowing the drivers to take two different lines," says the German. "The combination of widely contrasting corners demands a high level of aerodynamic efficiency. With the tyres put under such heavy loads, we use the hardest Bridgestone compounds here."