Engines ignite as Shanghai hosts 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix

The 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix officially kicked off on Friday at the Shanghai International Circuit, attracting crowds of racing fans hailing from the world over.

At 08:00 Friday, ticket checking began at the Shanghai International Circuit, and passionate fans waited in long queues for their chance to witness the world-class motorsport in action.

"I got into this sport last year after watching a movie, and I found it very interesting. Whether it's the performance of individual drivers or the team strategies, it's quite different from the sports I've watched before," said a local racing fan on site.

"I came here all the way because it was my childhood dream. My friends came from Russia, from New Zealand, from Australia, so we are all here, and we are quite enjoying the time, and we are happy to be here," said a spectator from Russia.

The Grand Prix officially kicked off with the first practice session at 11:30. Sprints and qualifying sessions occupy the remaining time slots until the final race, set for Sunday. Due to significant changes in technical regulations for the new season, the competition among the racing teams is exceptionally fierce.

During the three days, it is estimated that this year's F1 Chinese Grand Prix will attract more than 230,000 spectators, of whom 14 percent are from overseas.

This year's event featured local cuisine and intangible cultural heritage displays were featured at the venue, allowing fans to enjoy local delicacies while watching the race.

A booth serving Shanghai's famous soup dumplings sold out its stock nearly as quickly as they were served. Among those trying the classic snack was Alexander Wurz, director of F1 Academy Race, who proclaimed that "the taste is very good," as he eagerly waited for the soup inside to cool down enough for another bite.

Besides food, the event also featured intangible cultural heritage craft making, including Suzhou embroidery and Jiading bamboo carving, which were well-received by race fans.

Engines ignite as Shanghai hosts 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix

Engines ignite as Shanghai hosts 2026 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix

Europe is facing mounting economic pressure as tensions in the Middle East escalate, causing significant fluctuations in global energy markets, a European energy expert has said.

The region's heavy reliance on energy imports has left it vulnerable to soaring oil and gas prices, raising concerns over inflation and economic stability, said Simone Tagliapietra, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels-based think tank devoted to policy research on economic issues.

"This is putting very tough pressure on the European gas markets. Also, we see rising cost of the gasoline at the pump. So, higher energy costs, which will again have huge impact on the European citizens and which risk to ignite an inflation spiral where all prices rise as a consequence of the rising energy prices," said Tagliapietra, who specializes in EU climate, energy and industrial policy.

Despite Europe's substantial imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States, the expert cautioned, U.S. supply remains unstable, which further complicates Europe's energy security outlook.

"Given the volatility in the decisions of the Trump administration and given the trade war that the Trump administration has started against all other countries including the European Union in the past year, we are also very much attentive at any possible attempt by the U.S. administration to limit the exports of this LNG. We do not see this as an imminent risk, but this is something that Europe certainly needs to watch out with great degree of care in the coming months and weeks," he said.

Tagliapietra agrees that Europe must accelerate its energy transition to reduce dependency on single import sources and fossil fuels.

"There is nothing that Europe can do to decouple itself from this vulnerability of fossil fuel dependency, then accelerating the deployment of solar and wind energy sources in Europe. And we need to continue to do a lot of efforts amid this new energy crisis," said Tagliapietra.

Rising tensions in Middle East trigger energy market volatility in Europe: expert