Zoom Honda not expecting more this season from the RA108

Round seventeen of the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship takes the Honda Racing F1 Team straight from the Fuji Speedway in Japan to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix. The 56-lap race takes place at the 5.451km (3.387-mile) Shanghai International Circuit, which is situated 40kms from the city.

The track was designed by Formula One architect Hermann Tilke in 2002 and was built the following year on disused marshland. The construction of the venue was a remarkable feat of engineering which required 40,000 stone pillars to be laid in the ground to shore up the foundations before building work could begin.

The circuit's layout is in the shape of the Chinese character 'shang', which means 'high' or 'above', with excellent pitlane and paddock facilities.

The first Chinese Grand Prix took place in September 2004 and was dominated by current Honda Racing F1 Team drivers Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, who finished first and second respectively. Jenson has finished in the points for the previous two years and this is a technically challenging circuit which both drivers enjoy.

The technical challenge
As at Fuji Speedway, car set-up is a compromise between slow-speed grip and straightline speed. Ideally, the five second-gear corners around the lap require high downforce, but the cars need to maintain a high top speed along the back straight, and that forces the teams to take off wing to reduce drag. There are more high-speed corners than at Fuji, however, so a neutral car balance is crucial to achieve a good lap time.

The key corners are the slower ones because it is through there that the cars spend the most time. However the drivers must have confidence in their machinery through the long, tightening Turn 1 and the sixth gear chicane at Turns 7 and 8 if they are to put a good lap together.

Rain has played a part in recent races, so car set-up also needs to reflect the unpredictability of Shanghai's microclimate.

Full throttle: 55%
Brake wear: Medium
Downforce level: Medium/High - 7/10
Tyre compounds: Medium/Hard
Tyre usage: Medium
Average speed: 203kph (126mph)

ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL

Q. What are you expecting from the Chinese Grand Prix weekend?

"From our home race in Japan this weekend, the team heads straight to China for the penultimate race of the 2008 season. The set-up and downforce configurations required for the RA108 at the Shanghai International Circuit are similar to those used at the Fuji Speedway with some extra downforce added. Shanghai has some unusually long corners therefore we will be using the next step in tyre compounds with Bridgestone providing the medium and hard tyres which will be more durable and resistant to degradation."