Button takes 10th Grand Prix title

• Source: Global Times
• [16:54 April 19 2010]
• Comments

Shanghai Jiushui said that the contract renewal would boil down to the feasibility of profit for both the city and the F1, though no word on the situation was released as of late Sunday.

The challenging angular 5.5 kilometer-long-track that takes the shape of the Chinese character shang intended to carve out the first part of the Chinese word making up Shanghai, which nearly caused the 31-year-old to lose control of his fate Sunday, however, has done little to help develop a love for fast cars amongst Chinese.

Though there are a swelling 700,000 fans estimated in Shanghai, more than triple the size of its base seven years ago when the event was first introduced to Shanghai in 2004, the circuit which maxes out at 10,000 spectators saw 10 percent of its seats empty Sunday.

With up to 60 percent of the demographic comprising foreigners, it is also clear that the F1 has yet to catch on with Chinese, casting doubt by some on whether the gig should return to the city in the future.

In part owed to the high price of race day tickets, one of which will set fans back average at 2,013 yuan ($293), it appears that the average Chinese resident who earns a monthly salary of 3,566 yuan ($523) is not likely to get attached to the sport anytime soon, either.

"I can afford the ticket, but it is pretty expensive," said spectator Yu Huiqi, 26. "That's why a one-time experi-ence is more than enough for me."