I thought that after experiencing the dreamlike Shanghai Grand Prix last year, I would not have too many emotions when I went to the F1 site again this year. However, a week after the race, the emo or sense of loss still followed me like a large withdrawal reaction.
It is a rare feeling to sing the national anthem with tens of thousands of people on the spot
The so-called withdrawal reaction is actually a series of physical and psychological discomforts when people suddenly stop or reduce a certain habitual substance or behavior. As an old fan who has watched F1 for more than 20 years and has been to many live races, I shouldn't, or at least I think I shouldn't, have such a severe withdrawal reaction to this year's F1 Shanghai Station.
But it still appeared, following you everywhere.
Regarding this withdrawal reaction, besides being able to attribute it to the loss after a huge carnival, perhaps it is also due to my "deep love" for Ferrari.
Ferrari's triumphant "trident" during its heyday, from left to right: Ross Brawn, Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt
Looking back on my encounter with F1, it started in the summer of 2002. I was sitting on the sofa, bored and changing channels, when I was instantly attracted by a speeding red racing car on TV and the soul-stirring engine sound.
The famous "King of Cars Jump" at the 2006 F1 Shanghai Grand Prix was also the last Grand Prix championship of Schumacher's career.
After a month of intensive tutoring with the help of various magazines and old Chinese Internet search engines, I was completely attracted by the Ferrari victory "trident" composed of a short and fat French man - Jean Todt, a gentle British man - Ross Brawn and a serious German man - Michael Schumacher. I plunged into the big family of Tifosi (a nickname for Ferrari fans, also known as Iron Buddha Temple in Chinese), and since then I have been deeply trapped in this "Ferrari" pit for more than 20 years, following its ups and downs all the way.
Current Ferrari team leader - Vasseur
It is said that history always repeats itself. More than a decade later, another short and fat French man once again became the head coach of Ferrari. Frédéric Vasseur, the man who brought Leclerc and Zhou Guanyu into F1 and poached Hamilton from his "loyal" Mercedes team, whether he can really lead Ferrari back to the top of the undefeated world, can at least give us, the iron Buddha temples who are constantly sinking in hope, a little hope.
Hamilton wins the sprint race on Saturday
Although in Shanghai, this hope once again turned into a bubble at the peak. From winning the sprint race to the disqualification of the two cars in the race, only one day passed. I still remember the disappointment on the subway on the way back after the race on Sunday, after receiving the announcement that the two Ferrari cars were disqualified. This also made me have a deeper impression of this year's Shanghai race.
Ferrari had both cars disqualified from the race on Sunday (as well as Alpine's Gasly)
Last year's Shanghai Grand Prix marked the return of F1 to China after a five-year hiatus. It also coincided with the 20th anniversary of the F1 Shanghai Grand Prix. It was also the first time in history that a Chinese official driver, Zhou Guanyu, competed at home. The warm atmosphere and thunderous cheers were something I have never felt since I watched the race live in 2014. Even the 1000th F1 Grand Prix held in Shanghai in 2019 did not have such a grand occasion.
After a year, F1, which celebrated its 75th birthday, returned to the Shanghai paddock again, and the popularity of watching the race seemed to increase instead of decrease. The number of spectators in three days exceeded 220,000, which was about 20,000 more than last year. More spectators not only made it difficult to get a ticket, but also made the queues endless. Whether it was eating, buying water or going to the toilet, it seemed to be more difficult than last year. On Sunday, it took me an hour and a half just to queue up to enter the subway station. As for taking a taxi, it takes more than three kilometers just to walk out of the traffic control area, not to mention how long it takes to wait for the car. This may also illustrate the vitality of this sport from another perspective.
Previously, an industry commentator called F1 "the most popular niche sport", which may be the most accurate summary of the sport of F1.
On the one hand, compared with football and basketball, which are truly mass sports with a wider audience and a stronger foundation and are followed by billions of people, racing seems to be extremely niche, even F1, the crown jewel of racing sports.
But on the other hand, F1's upward momentum is unprecedentedly high. Entering its 75th year, F1 has experienced an astonishing growth momentum for many consecutive years under the helm of Liberty Media Group. In the past 2024, F1's revenue reached 3.411 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 9.1%. The dividends paid to the 10 teams alone reached 1.266 billion US dollars that season. And it is the F1 fans and sponsors all over the world that bring so much profit to F1 officials and the 10 teams.
Official sponsor of F1 in 2025
According to statistics, the total number of F1 fans worldwide increased by about 90 million last year, reaching 826.5 million. At the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, the opening race, 465,500 people watched the three-day live race, setting a record for Melbourne's Albert Park Circuit. The numerous new fans have brought unprecedented social media popularity, and naturally brought more top sponsors. In addition to familiar faces such as Pirelli, Heineken, and DHL, this year also added top luxury giants such as LV, which can be said to be thriving.
2025 F1 full-year calendar
In 2025, F1 will have 24 races throughout the year, and the calendar will last from early March to early December. The F1 official also intends to further expand it to 25 races throughout the year in the future, and introduce more countries and regions to host the races. Currently, South Africa, Rwanda, Thailand and other countries have expressed their intention to host F1 races. There are even rumors that Guangzhou and Chengdu in China have also been included in the F1 official's investigation scope.
No matter what, we will eventually usher in a more lively and prosperous F1, and with another F1 weekend filled with the roar of engines, my withdrawal reaction will finally leave me.
