Thoughts on China

What’s in a number?


Lewis Hamilton has a pretty impressive statistical record in China; five pole positions including the last three in a row, and four wins including the last two in a row. Numbers are important in China, with particular numbers carrying certain traits. The number 8 for example is particularly auspicious, as the sound of the spoken word for 8 sounds similar to that meaning wealth. So it could be another good weekend for Romain Grosjean who carries it on his car, and perhaps also a good one for Ryo Haryanto who runs 88. On the other hand, the number four is considered by many to be the equivalent of 13 in the West, and to be avoided at all costs. Well, it doesn’t seem to have affected Lewis; since he chose his permanent number of 44 in 2013, he has taken pole position and won both races in Shanghai on his way to winning the World Championship in both seasons. Perhaps his saving grace is that there are so many dialects in China that in Shanghai the number 4  sounds like the word for water, which is associated with money, and therefore lucky. 

In fact I was quite relieved to come across that nugget of information, working as I am for Channel 4 this year. Indeed, the new broadcaster of F1 in the UK has yet to show a race being won by Hamilton, who has found it more difficult than expected to win his 44th career race. We have to cast our minds back to mid October of last year when he won both the event in Austin and the title, since when of course Nico Rosberg has won every Grand Prix. Mercedes must start as favourites again this weekend, especially given their recent record here, but Ferrari will be itching to mix things up, and surely there is the opportunity here on a track that beats up the left front tyre, and which will see the supersoft Pirelli in action for the first time in China. Last year’s Ferrari lacked the front end bite that allowed it to make the most of the tyre, but this year’s car with the short nose and revised suspension layout could be a more effective tool. 
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I’ll also be keeping a close watch on the Toro Rossos this weekend. Verstappen drove a superb race here 12 months ago, pulling off some breathtaking moves at the hairpin, only for his Renault engine to let go within sight of the flag. Ferrari power, even the older version, should benefit the cars down that long straight and allow them to qualify further up the order. Rear tyre conservation was a concern in Bahrain but it won’t be the factor in Shanghai, and both Williams and Red Bull could be looking over their shoulders to see how the youngsters are doing.

Meanwhile, over at Haas, there must be an eagerness to see what can be achieved next. Funnily enough, it was another American team that last came into the sport and finished Top 6 in its first two races; the Shadow team arrived in 1973 and raced through to 1980. There was one win in that period, courtesy of Alan Jones in his pre-Williams championship winning days, but one slightly worrying stat that comes out of checking the record books is that Shadow failed to score again that first year until the penultimate race of the season. Somehow, I don’t see that being repeated in 2016. 

So, let’s see what the weekend brings. Nico Rosberg is on a roll of good results, and in Chinese numerology, his number 6 means to flow with luck on the road, easy and smooth all the way. Sounds portentious doesn’t it?