Shanghai April 28th, 2005 Chinese Grand Prix Preview Exciting challenge in new Chinese wonder-world From Portugal in Southern Europe, where Spaniard Carlos Checa scored an impressive fifth place aboard his Bridgestone-fitted Ducati Desmosedici, Japanese tyre manufacturer Bridgestone and their three partner teams in MotoGP racing travelled halfway around the globe for the first ever MotoGP race in the People’s Republic of China. Located near the Yangtze river delta just outside the prosperous port city, the Shanghai International Circuit is a proud showcase for the rapid pace of development and the high technological and commercial ambitions of the world’s largest country with one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Build with a budget of 250 million US-Dollars and completed in just 18 months, the circuit and its infrastructure are record-breaking in every sense. Sitting on 12000 tons of steel, 40000 reinforcing concrete pillars, and 320000 cubic metres of EPS engineering plastics, the architecture makes for a spectacular sight, with grandstand seating for a massive 200,000 spectators, with two surreal-looking wings that cover the starting straight, and with its team buildings that are arranged in an exotic Chinese garden environment rather than in a paved paddock. Designed by re-known German engineer Hermann Tielke, who also shaped a number of other modern circuits like the Malaysian Sepang circuit or the new German Hockenheim ring, the Shanghai International Circuit is 5.45 kilometres long and features two very long straights the main straight measures 1202 metres in length, the longest of the entire championship where the MotoGP bikes are expected to reach top speeds in excess of 320 kilometres per hour. The track is also characterised by two very long right-hand corners, almost 360 degrees, which will put the tyres to the test with a lot of heat built-up in the right tyre flanks. Like the Sepang track, the Shanghai circuit is also very wide, and presents many overtaking opportunities. Despite its sheer size and the long straights, the Shanghai circuit is still relatively slow in comparison with the fastest tracks on the calendar. The first half of its length consists of consecutive low-speed corners, requiring good handling abilities from the tyres for quick changes from right to left, as well as consistent grip levels through the turns. The second part of the track is a Formula 1-style stop-and-go layout, challenging the braking and traction qualities of the tyres. Bridgestone has air-freighted a total of 1000 tyres to Shanghai straight from Japan, more than the average 700 tyres, in order to cater for all possible track conditions. But despite the fact that the Shanghai International Circuit is new to the MotoGP world, Bridgestone’s tyre technicians haven’t arrived unprepared.