Shanghai stat attack!

To help celebrate the occasion, below are 10 of our favourite event-based stats.

Special thanks to Alex Harrison @WECData for providing the below information.

1.    Shanghai has seen a combined 206 cars start the previous seven runnings, with 22 of those failing to see the chequered flag, making an 89.3% finish rate.

2.    The 206 starters at Shanghai have raced for 31,332 laps in all, or 170,791 km. The most came in 2016, with the 31 entrants covering 27,849 km, for the only time more than 5,000 laps have been covered in China.

3.    Eight different Porsche teams have scored a GTE podium at Shanghai. Felbermayr-Proton, IMSA Matmut, Porsche Team Manthey, KCMG, Porsche GT Team, Gulf Racing, Dempsey Proton and Project1. The joint-most at any WEC circuit for the German brand, alongside Fuji.

4.    The LMP1 podium at Shanghai 2018 hosted a reunion of former F1 World Champions and McLaren F1 team-mates Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, the pair sharing a podium for the first time since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. Alonso’s Toyota TS050 featured Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi, whilst Button’s SMP Racing BR1 crew contained Vitaly Petrov – all former F1 drivers.

5.    The 2018 Shanghai race marked a first win for Aston Martin Racing’s second-generation Vantage AMR. It was the 50th win in GTE Pro for cars on Michelin tyres – whilst Aston Martin’s previous GTE Pro win in China (2013) was the 15th win for Michelin in the class.

6.    The best result at home, from a driver under the Chinese flag, came from Cheng Congfu’s in 2012 who finished fourth overall. Shanghai 2018 saw Jackie Chan DC Racing score victory in LMP2, the first Chinese-flagged team to win at home. 

7.    The fastest speed recorded in Shanghai was by Rebellion Racing’s Alexandre Imperatori, with the Swiss hitting 316.7 kmh in the AER-powered R-One. No class improved its top speed in China last year, however LMP2 has seen a new high set at both Silverstone and Fuji already this year.

8.    Good qualifying in LMP1 is vital at Shanghai, as it one of just two original circuits (Spa-Francorchamps) to have seen all winners start from the first two rows. The seven outright victors starting from pole, 2nd, 2nd, pole, pole, 3rd and pole.

9.    The fastest ever lap at WEC Shanghai was set by Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Kamui Kobayashi in 2017, a 1:42.526. He took the honour in China again last year; en route to the No.7 TS050’s second-straight Shanghai pole, and has already claimed a fastest lap this year at Silverstone.

10.    No WEC team in any class, at any circuit, has qualified better than Aston Martin Racing in GTE Am at Shanghai. It didn’t appear in the class at China in 2012, but from 2013 onwards, the original V8 Vantage claimed pole position in the class on all six visits thereafter, including the car’s penultimate last season

Despite @AMR_Official scoring fewer podiums (10) at @FIAWEC Shanghai than @PorscheRaces (17) and @FerrariRaces teams (11), the British marque has achieved twice as many wins (6) as Porsche (3), and three times more than Ferrari (2). 🥇 pic.twitter.com/2e7mH85l25

— WEC DATA (@WECDATA) October 28, 2019