The Shanghai International Circuit will now welcome F1 through to 2030 following a five-year extension.

China first hosted the world championship in 2004 and was ever-present until 2020.

A four-year hiatus was ended when the sport returned this year, with Max Verstappen claiming his first success at the venue.

It also marked the first time fans have a local driver to support courtesy of Zhou Guanyu at Sauber.

“Our return to China this season for the first time since 2019 was a fantastic moment for the sport, and it is incredible to see the levels of support that we enjoy in the country continuing to grow year-on-year,” said F1 boss Stefano Domenicali.

“Shanghai is an incredible city, and the racetrack is a wonderful test for our drivers, so I am delighted that Formula 1 will continue its successful partnership with the Chinese Grand Prix for a further five years.

“I want to thank our promoter for their continued commitment and passion, and I look forward to returning to Shanghai in the new year.”

It’s believed organisers in China were paying around $50 million annually for the event.

That figure is not expected to have grown significantly—the event was already among the highest-paying on the calendar.

Historic venue set for F1 calendar exit

News of the extension comes just days after officials in the Netherlands announced F1 would remain in Zandvoort for just one more year.

Economic pressures and the Dutch event’s reliance on Max Verstappen are understood to have been significant contributing factors in electing not to renew the event further.

That is not the case in China, which is an important market for a number of brands associated with F1, particularly in the automotive sector.

Audi has recently launched a new sub-brand there, doing away with its famed four rings in favour of its name alone, written in uppercase.

It’s tasked with growing the brand’s market share in the country with products specifically developed for the Chinese market.

Audi owns a majority stake of the Sauber team, and will acquire it fully in early January, though it has agreed to sell around a third of the operation to the Qatar Investment Authority.

The Audi name will appear on the grid from 2026.

F1 will next visit China a week after next year’s Australian Grand Prix as Round 2 of the season on March 21-23.