1、Following the signing of a new seven-year contract between the Shanghai International Circuit and F1 last year, the Chinese Grand Prix this year see the return of crowds. How about the future of F1 sport in China?CRIs reporter Sun Yang talks to race CEO Jiang Lan.Its April and spring has returned to
2、 the city of Shanghai. At the Shanghai International Circuit in Jiading thousands of Formula One fans flocked to witness this years Chinese Grand Prix.A group of Chinese fans are visiting the paddock club. They are some of the lucky few who are able to experience the fast and furious action of F1 up
3、-close.To attract more spectators, race organizer Juss Events launched a lucky draw, which gave ten fans the opportunity to visit the VIP arena above the pit lane during the race.Of the ten, two lucky individuals were chosen as premium VIPs, and were allowed to access the garage; the very heart of a
4、ll F1 teams.Lu Min, a die-hard Formula One fan, was one of the lucky pairI feel so excited. I come here every year, but this is the first time that Ive taken part in the lucky draw and have had the opportunity to be so close to the thrill of a Formula One race.As for the general spectators, the adju
5、sted ticket prices have made it much more affordable for people to experience the most expensive sport in the world.Mrs. Liu is a mother of twin boys. She went to the Shanghai International Circuit with her family and friends.We bought the three-day tickets. Its free for the kids. My sons liked watc
6、hing motorsport programs on TV when they were very young. So Ive taken the opportunity to bring them here to enjoy a more true experience.The Formula One Grand Prix was introduced to China in 2004. The race initially encountered a number of obstacles as it failed to cater to everyones tastes. In 200
7、9, ticket sales reached a record low of 120,000 yuan.Following the signing of a new seven-year contract between the Shanghai International Circuit and F1 last year, Juss Events launched a series of measures in an effort to stimulate the gloomy attendance figures, including establishing fan clubs and
8、 giving out free tickets for children. The promotional efforts received positive feedback from the market.Race CEO Jiang Lan was happy to see the return of crowds to the Shanghai International Circuit:Ticket sales for Fridays practice sessions have exceeded 600,000 yuan. This has never happened in t
9、he history of the Chinese Grand Prix. In 2008, it was hard to find any spectators on the stand during the Friday sessions.Jiang said that the rise in ticket sales on practice day provided a positive sign for the future revenue of Chinese GP events, and he is confident that the sport of Formula One in China has a bright future.After a number of years, I believe that our level of experience will be strongly improved. We will boast a large number of spectators who are not just curious about F1, but are able to experience the real charm of the sport.For CRI, Im Sun Yang in Shanghai.
