Bernie Ecclestone had long been looking to expand Formula 1 into China when the Shanghai International Circuit opened in 2004. Designed by Hermann Tilke and built on a former swamp in the north-west of the city, the track layout was loosely based on a Chinese symbol. It is a technical and overly twisty circuit in the main although the 0.75-mile back straight allows for some good racing, especially since the introduction of the Drag Reduction System. The track has suffered some subsidence in places and both its layout and the dense traffic outside have been criticised by members of the F1 fraternity.
