Second Asian mega-metropolis in a row! The XXL preview of Formula E's 2025 Shanghai E-Prix

Just a fortnight ago, Formula E raced in Tokyo, a city of 37 million people, and this weekend the drivers and teams are travelling to China's largest city - Shanghai! The metropolis made its debut as the venue for the electric racing series last year. However, the race will not be held directly in the city centre, but on a shortened version of the Shanghai International Circuit, the racing complex also used by Formula 1.

Where exactly do the Formula E races take place?

With almost 25 million inhabitants, Shanghai has truly earned the title of "mega-metropolis". However, China's largest city is not the capital - that honour belongs to Beijing. Shanghai is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River in eastern China and borders directly on the East China Sea. The city's most famous landmark is the Shanghai Tower, which at 632 metres is the third tallest building in the world.

The racetrack itself is located outside the city centre in the western foothills of the metropolitan region. The racing complex is surrounded by sprawling green spaces, making it seem as if the circuit is far removed from urban life. The skyline of tower blocks, which can be seen in the distance on the start-finish straight behind the cars, reinforces this impression.

Fast Stats | Shanghai

• There have only been two races in Shanghai, both last year. No driver finished on the podium either time. The most successful driver is currently Mitch Evans with one win and one fifth place.
• The best qualifier in Shanghai is Jake Hughes. Back then still in a McLaren, he managed a pole position and a fifth place on the grid.
• A total of five races have already been held in China. Three different cities have been used as venues: Shanghai, Sanya (season 5) and Beijing (seasons 1 and 2).
• Antonio Felix da Costa and Lucas di Grassi are the only drivers with two podiums in China. Felix da Costa managed a third place in Sanya and victory in the second race in Shanghai 2024, while Di Grassi won the first race in Beijing, which was also the first ever Formula E race, and took a second place in season 2.
• At around 3.1 kilometres, the shortened Shanghai International Circuit is neither the longest nor the shortest circuit in China. Beijing was the longest at 3.4 kilometres, Sanya the shortest at just 2.2 kilometres.

Who broadcasts the Shanghai Formula E races on TV & livestream?

As in the previous year, the Shanghai E-Prix will be a "double-header". Accordingly, there will be three practice sessions, two qualifying sessions and two races. For us in Central Europe, the time difference to Shanghai means several sessions late at night and early in the morning - and even an additional hour later than in Tokyo. Qualifying will start at 4.20 am (CEST) on both days and the respective race will follow at 9 am (CEST). The first free practice session will start at 10:00 am (CEST) on Friday morning. The two other practice sessions will start at 2:00 am (CEST) on Saturday and Sunday.

The broadcasters for the race and qualifying will depend on your region. But as usual, e-Formula.news offers English-language live streams for both free practice sessions. On top of that, you can follow all sessions of the E-Prix in our popular Formula E Live Ticker.

 
All data in Central European Time (CEST)

What characterises the race track in Shanghai?

The Shanghai International Circuit is a permanent racing complex. The track is extremely wide by Formula E standards and has no special features such as surface changes. The full layout is not utilised. Instead, Formula E takes a shortcut towards the start-finish straight at turn 9, which actually marks the end of the second sector. This crossover is less wide and includes a chicane, which proved to be a risky spot last year.

In total, the shortened circuit is 3.051 kilometres long and has twelve corners. The first four bends, which are often regarded as one, stand out in particular. The turn narrows so much that it turns in on itself and only opens up again in turn 3. Finding the right braking point and the best racing line here is difficult and ended in a number of braking incidents and collisions last year.

In which order do the drivers start qualifying?

In Formula E, qualifying takes place in two stages: Group stage and knockout stage. For group qualifying, the driver field is initially divided into two halves, with all drivers in the odd-numbered championship positions (positions 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.) competing in Group A and the drivers in the even-numbered positions in Group B.

The four drivers who set the fastest lap times in their group after twelve minutes will then move on to the quarter-finals, where they will duel for the best grid positions. The qualifying groups for Shanghai on Saturday are as follows.

What will the weather be like in Shanghai?

The weather in Shanghai will be interesting. There is a small chance of rain on both Saturday and Sunday, and it will probably be overcast most of the time. The temperature differences on both days could make the biggest impact. Saturday is likely to be a 30-degree heatwave. On Sunday, it will be a whole 10 degrees Celsius less, which could certainly present the teams with a setup challenge.

Who are the favourites?

The top favourite is Oliver Rowland. Nothing seems to be able to stop him, and he reliably achieves great results - regardless of the weather, starting position or race dynamics. The question is who can challenge him in Shanghai. Last year, it was the Porsche powertrain that was the one to beat. The works team, Cupra Kiro and Andretti could therefore get involved in the battle for victory. We can expect another race with Pit Boost on Saturday: for the fourth time ever, the drivers will have to make a mandatory pit stop for 34 seconds to recharge!

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