A Chinese driver will compete in a Formula 1 grand prix on home turf for the first time this weekend, as the race series returns to China following a five-year absence due to COVID-19.
The government is keen to lure back tourists and businesses after the pandemic caused both to plummet, and the Shanghai race is part of that effort.
Racing driver Zhou Guanyu, a Shanghai local, is not a star outside China — last year he finished 18th in a field of 20.
However, he is a huge draw at home: Tickets sold out in record time, The Associated Press reported, and a documentary about his journey to the starting grid is being released on Friday.