From April 19th to 21st, the 2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix officially returned at the Shanghai International Circuit after five years.
China's first F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu's home debut, the 20th anniversary of F1 China, and the first sprint race held in China...... With a series of shiny labels to fill the heat of the 2024 F1 Chinese Grand Prix, coupled with the Plaid Flag Music Carnival and the introduction of "top-notch" literary stars for the first time, as well as the atmosphere of the Shanghai Automobile Culture Festival, this weekend was lively at the Shanghai International Circuit, with hundreds of thousands of people visiting the race over the three days.
Booking data shows that this year's F1 China station non-local crowd accounted for 70%, of which 10% are international crowds, while tickets are hard to find, the hotels around the stadium are also hard to find, an international top race in addition to highlighting the beauty of racing, but also brought huge hotels, catering, shopping and other tourism economic benefits, effectively stimulated the development of surrounding industries, and further enhanced the international visibility and reputation of Shanghai as an international metropolis.
At the F1 Grand Prix, we saw another top international event, the MXGP (World Motocross Championship), which will be held in Fengxian, Shanghai, from September 14-16, 2024.
MXGP is one of the world's four classic motorcycle races along with Formula 1 and is the world's No. 1 off-road motorsport. In fact, as early as 2019, MXGP, which was introduced by Hehui Group, landed in Shanghai and held MXGP China for the first time in Fengxian District, which was also the final event of the year.
At that time, the successful holding of the event won a full house. China won two trophies out of five awards at the FIM Annual Awards Ceremony: Best Construction Award and Best Operation Promotion Award.
In addition, the event ranked 10th in the ranking of attention and professionalism of major sports events in Shanghai that year, and also ranked seventh in the economic impact and industry pull of major events. According to official data, the direct economic benefits of the event exceeded 76 million, and the indirect economic benefits were close to 180 million.
It is understood that this event is MXGP's second dream linkage with F1 after its debut at the Waterscape Plaza in 2019. In the past few days, the MXGP event site has been full of roaring engines and wonderful people. With a strong interest in motorcycles and the event, fans lined up in the VR experience area from the perspective of the MXGP World Champion to experience the unique charm of motocross.
In addition to the highly realistic simulation experience, the on-site organizers also provided fans with the opportunity to take photos with the same championship trophy as the world champion, and gifts such as race-related canvas bags, commemorative T-shirts and commemorative hats were also readily available, and participants also had the opportunity to draw three carbon fiber limited edition helmets worth 3,180 yuan. The abundant activities made the atmosphere warm and climaxed, so that fans have a deeper understanding of MXGP.
Similar to F1, MXGP is about speed and skillful handling, but with its own unique charm.
The MXGP is the ultimate challenge in motorcycle racing, with athletes riding powerful motocross bikes designed for agility and agility in rough off-road terrain, with a sturdy suspension system, multi-section tires and a high-torque engine that allows riders to handle jumps, bumps and tight turns with precision and speed. At the same time, MXGP tracks usually have elements such as sand and dirt, undulating terrain and jumps, and athletes must have excellent vehicle control, agility and adaptability, as well as abundant physical fitness, strong psychology and indomitable courage to conquer the harsh terrain and deduce the speed and passion of galloping on the field.
It's worth mentioning that while both MXGP and F1 offer adrenaline-pumping thrills, MXGP is more grounded for the live audience, allowing them to watch the action from where they sit in the stands. In addition, Formula 1 may be out of reach for most people, but racing enthusiasts can try their hand at driving an MXGP car and experience the driving experience of a world champion driver on the professional circuit of the Shanghai International Cross-Country Circuit in Fengxian, Shanghai.
At the roadshow, Huang Yihao, assistant general manager of Shanghai Hehui Sports Planning Co., Ltd., the operator of the event, said: F1 has been developing in China for 20 years, and the grand occasion of this year's F1 China Grand Prix fully demonstrates the strong influence of motorsport in the world, which makes Hehui Sports more confident in the future of MXGP in China. We will strive for excellence, benchmark F1 and other world-class events, make the "North (Jiading) Automobile and South (Fengxian) Motorcycle" Shuangshu shine in Shanghai, contribute to the construction of Shanghai as a world-class sports event capital, and build a world-famous sports city, and at the same time promote the vigorous development of China's motorcycle cross-country sports, and bring the world's top motorcycle sports experience to motorcycle fans across the country.