Shanghai Grand Prix

Two weeks ago I had perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience a Formula 1 race at the Shanghai International Circuit. If you have no idea what I about to talk about I would recommend a quick jot over to formula1.com. Now that we have you up to specs about this little talk lets get down to business.

As it stands Formula One is the pinnacle form of motor racing in the world. It pits highly engineered machinery with extreme athletes in a battle for victory. To the racing community there is no other substitute for Formula One (aka F1). Short of watching the air races in Reno Nevada you are not likely to see such an extreme example of; athleticism, engineering, physics, and strategy anywhere else in the world.

A typical race lasts around 57 laps of the circuit which works out to be roughly 2 hours (with all the time for accidents and misc events). This year the world circuit is hosting ten teams with two cars and drivers per team. The teams come from all over the world and the whole collection of them is something akin to a small U. N. Of course the typical names are present this year as they have been for nearly half a century. The names of Ferrari, Mercedes-McLaren, and BMW still carry great weight in this industry. In recent years though newcomers have entered the competition they are as follows; Red Bull, Toyota, Force India, and the newest of all Brawn GP. With such diverse teams the races are always interesting and exciting.

As a note to anyone now considering attending a F1 event caution they are not for the faint of heart. A F1 race is a mass of smells, tastes, sights, and very loud noises. If you do not believe me then imagine what an engine sounds like at 20,000rpms. Yes, 20,000rpms is the standard speed of a F1 engine. To a non-fan the noise is obnoxious and detrimental to one’s health. To those of us fortunate to love F1, a race is a symphony of throaty exhausts and perfect shifting accompanied by squealing of tires.

Shanghai was the first time I have had the opportunity to attend a F1 race in person. Growing up in England during the glory years of Michael Schumacher it seems only natural that I would grow to love the sport. At the age of twenty I was now in Shanghai to watch my first Formula 1 race in person. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this singular event was my reasoning for coming to China.

To me Formula One is more than just a race it is an extreme case of the beauty and simplicity of physics. When I watch a race it’s not about who wins the race but about watching the beauty of physics. There is something surreally beautiful about watching a Formula One car round a sharp corner. It is a representation of Newtonian physics working in beautiful harmony to generate forces and motion. It is hard for me to convey how beautiful I find this but to me the emotions are indescribable.
So now I was in Shanghai to watch this masterpiece of physics and athletics for my first time. The day of the race came and so did the rain that always haunts Shanghai. Sitting in the pouring rain and blowing wind I watch a Formula One race. I was cold and shivering that day but it still holds some of my most treasured memories.

Watching that single event has helped me, helped me understand life better. It’s hard to explain how but I know that these weeks here in China have changed me. They have altered me in ways that will shape and perhaps haunt me the rest of my life. It was only at this race that I started to full understand the transformation that is accruing inside of me.

I watched a car crash while I sitting in the stands at Shanghai. Perhaps it was that I knew the driver would survive it perhaps not but my first thought was how beautiful. I watched a couple hundred thousand dollars be destroyed in a hundredth of a second. A piece of a car constructed out of one the strongest composite materials was destroyed as though it was made of paper. And in that moment I realized how fragile our lives are but how they are all governed by universal truths.

In that moment I saw a beauty and complexity to the world that I have never seen before. Since that race the simple act of riding on the subway or sitting in cab can bring a smile to my face. I feel as though I am aware of some inside knowledge of the world. So many people go about there lives without realizing the absolute beauty of the world we live in.

The Shanghai Grand Prix and the weekend that surrounded it changed me. I had just come out of midterm exams and was pretty wrecked. I had spent a whole week prepping for those three exams and it showed on me on Friday night. But that weekend reenergized and restored me. I found a hidden beauty in the world and for that weekend it was my personal secret.

As for everything outside of the race it is as follows:

We left for Shanghai on the Friday night after midterms had finished. Our trip down would be on the highlight of Chinese rail system, a class D train (bullet train). The only hitch to our trip was that we would not have beds for out 10 hour train ride. For this trip we would be riding in soft seats for both parts of the trip. The train is beautiful, new, and clean the only problem is that the passengers don’t like to sleep on it. Our train depart Beijing Rail Station at 10 pm and people stay awake well into the early morning hours.

We arrived in Shanghai tired and bleary eyed but more than happy to meet the city with our adventurous spirit. A public bus and some walking delivered us to our hostel that I had booked a room. Well, I had booked a room but they couldn’t find the room reservation. So we left to find another set of accommodations somewhere else in Shanghai. We ended up in the Bund of Shanghai staying at the Captain’s Hostel. The room and the hostel were nice and convenient. The best part of the hostel was its beautiful bar upstairs that granted a view of the beautiful skyline.

Our time in Shanghai was a blur of visits, restaurants, and treats. We visited the Oriental Pearl Tower, the aquarium, and a great assortment of other random places. The best part of traveling in China is the food that you get at small hole in the wall restaurants. I know that it is risky to some extent to eat at those locations but the food is always better than the mast produced junk that you get at other restaurants.
My recommendations to any traveler in China are to eat where the locals do, ride public buses, and enjoy your time there.