BERLIN (GERMANY), April 17. (dpa/EP) –
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff described the return of Formula 1 to China five years later as “crucially important”, in the face of the “global” expansion of this sport, which “offers fans the opportunity to engage with the brand on a more human level and to understand the values”.
“As the world’s largest automobile market and the second largest economy, China is of crucial importance for the global presence of sport,” Wolff said in statements to dpa reported by Europa Press.
The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai was held for the last time in 2019 – coinciding with the 1,000th F1 GP – before leaving the World Championship for the next four seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic.
At the time, Mercedes dominated, with Lewis Hamilton winning the race en route to his sixth title. The Briton has the record of wins on the Chinese track (5), where the German team also achieved its first great success as an official team with the help of Nico Rosberg, world champion in 2012. For all this, Wolff recognized that racing again in China was an additional motivation for the team.
In addition, tickets sold out within an hour since they went on sale at the beginning of January, with prices of almost 500 euros. “Formula 1 offers fans the opportunity to engage with the brand on a more human level and understand the values and what we stand for,” explained Wolff, referring to the advertising value of F1.
“This can often be as important as the product itself when making a purchasing decision,” added the Mercedes team leader.