Baden-Württemberg Overview

Baden-Württemberg is situated in the south-west of Germany. It’s largest city is the State’s capital, Stuttgart, but it also includes the cities of Heidelburg, Baden-Baden, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Heilbronn, Pforzheim and Ulm. The State is one of Germany’s most popular tourist destinations, particularly as it is home to Lake Constance and the famous Black Forest.

Getting to Hockenheim

The easiest way to get to Hockenheim is to fly to Frankfurt or Stuttgart, and pick up a rental car at the airport. It will take you about a hour to drive to Hockenheim from Frankfurt and about an hour and twenty minutes to drive there from Stuttgart.

The Hockenheimring

The original motor racing circuit at Hockenheim was built in 1939, and it was used as a test track by Mercedes-Benz. Although the German Formula 1 Grand Prix was initially held at the country’s main racing track, the Nurburgring, it was used for the 1970 Grand Prix, as there were concerns about the safety of the Nurburgring following the death of Formula 2 driver Jim Clark in 1968.

Changes were made to the Nurburgring and Formula 1 returned there in 1971, but in 1976, it was still deemed to be unsafe. Although the 1976 Grand Prix was still held at the Nurburgring, the decicion was made to move future races back to Hockenheim. The decision was validated when Niki Lauder, the reigning World Champion, suffered serious injuries in a crash during the 1976 Grand Prix. The Grand Prix was held in Hockenheim until 2007, when the decision was made to alternate between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring.

The Hockenheimring is 2.842 miles long and drivers aim to complete 67 laps of it.

Hockenheim Hotels

Many people choose to take advantage of the camping facilities at the Hockenheimring, as it means that they don’t have to drive to and from the circuit each day and can enjoy the race weekend atmosphere to the full.

However, if you would rather stay in a hotel, there are a number to choose from within Hockenheim itself. Most of the hotels in Hockenheim are independently owned, although there is one chain hotel, the Ramada Hotel Hockenheim. The 3-star Ramada Hotel Hockenheim has 80 rooms and is only 850 metres away from the Hockenheimring. Other hotels in Hockenheim include the Hotel Kanne and the Hotel Zur Pfalz. They do fill up quickly, so make sure that you book your room well in advance of the Grand Prix if you want to stay in Hockenheim.

Alternatively, you could stay in Frankfurt or Stuttgart and use your airport hire car to drive to the circuit.

Hockenheim Attractions

For motorsports enthusiasts, Hockenheim’s most important attraction (apart from the track itself) is the Hockenheim Motorsports Museum. The museum, which is part of the Hockenheimring site, contains a range of exhibits relating to the history of motorsports, including a number of historic cars.

Other attractions within Hockenheim include:

• The Hockenheim Tobacco Museum – Hockenheim has a long history within the tobacco industry and this museum houses a range of exhibits, including photographs, pipes and tools.
• The Aquadrome – This swimming pool complex includes a wave pool.

If you hire a car during your stay, you can also drive to the cities of Heidelburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, or explore the beautiful Black Forest.

Essential Information

The time in Germany is one hour ahead of the time in London, and the currency used is the euro.

Shanghai Overview

Although Beijing is the capital of China, Shanghai is the largest city in the country. It’s situated on the East Coast of China, on the Yangtze River Delta and has a population of more than 19 million. It’s one of China’s most important cities, both politically and commercially, and is also a popular tourist destination. Its architecture is comprised of both traditional Chinese styles and contemporary Western designs and it is packed with attractions.

Getting to Shanghai

There are two airports within Shanghai: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport.  Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is situated within the city itself, about 8 miles from the downtown district, and although it is an international airport, it now primarily caters for domestic flights. Shanghai Pudong International Airport is situated about 18 miles from the centre of Shanghai and many international airlines operate flights to and from this airport.

Shanghai International Circuit

Shanghai International Circuit is situated in the district of Jiading, about an hour’s drive from Shanghai Pudong International Airport. You can either take a taxi or a shuttle bus to the circuit from the centre of Shanghai.

The circuit, which was built on swampland, was designed by Hermann Tilke and was completed in 2004. It is 5.4km long and the drivers complete 56 laps of it.

Shanghai Hotels

Of the many hotels in Shanghai, one of the closest to the Shanghai International Circuit is the Universal Ever Rich Hotel, which is located in Bao’an Road the Jiading district of the city. It has 188 rooms, together with several restaurants and bars, a health club and a business centre.

Other hotels in Shanghai include The Grand Hyatt Shanghai,  The Hilton Shanghai, The Eton Hotel, the Radisson Hotel Shanghai New World and the Crowne Plaza Shanghai.

Attractions in Shanghai

If you’re visiting Shanghai to see the F1 Chinese Grand Prix, it’s worth extending your stay so that you can explore this fascinating city. One of Shanghai’s main attractions is the Bund, an area on the west bank of the Huangpu River. The Bund includes some beautiful buildings, including the Shanghai Customs House, the Peace Hotel and the old Bank of China Building.

For a great view of the Bund, take a cruise on the Huangpu River – a number of operators offer these cruises. You could also take a trip through the somewhat bizarre Bund Sightseeing Tunnel – the tunnel links the Pudong and Puxi areas of the city, and during your 3 minute tram journey through it , you’ll be treated to a light show.

Shanghai has a range of museums. One of the most popular is Shanghai Museum, which has 11 galleries and 3 exhibition halls. Its collection of more than 120,000 exhibits includes statues, bronzes, ceramics and jade ornaments. Other popular attractions in Shanghai include the Jade Buddha Temple and the beautiful Yu Yuan (Garden of Peace and Comfort).

Essential Information

Shanghai is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and the currency used is the Chinese Yuan.

Image: Emily Walker

The schedule for the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship is:

• Bahrain Grand Prix (12 – 14 March 2010)
• Australian Grand Prix (26 – 28 March 2010)
• Malaysian Grand Prix (2 – 4 April 2010)
• Chinese Grand Prix (16 – 18 April 2010)
• Spanish Grand Prix (7 – 9 May 2010)
• Monaco Grand Prix (13 – 16 May 2010)
• Turkish Grand Prix (28 – 30 May 2010)
• Canadian Grand Prix (11 – 13 June 2010)
• Grand Prix of Europe (25 – 27 June 2010)
• British Grand Prix (9 – 11 July 2010)
• German Grand Prix (23 – 25 July 2010)
• Hungarian Grand Prix (30 July – 1 August 2010)
• Belgian Grand Prix (27 – 29 August 2010)
• Italian Grand Prix (10 – 12 September 2010)
• Singapore Grand Prix (24 – 26 September 2010)
• Japanese Grand Prix (8 – 10 October 2010)
• Korean Grand Prix (22 – 24 October 2010)
• Brazilian Grand Prix (5 – 7 November 2010)
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (12 – 14 November 2010).

In the next post in this series, we’ll be taking a look at Bahrain, the venue for the first Grand Prix of the 2010 season.