Sanya Haitang Bay Circuit Detailed Introduction

Sanya Haitang Bay Circuit is a street circuit located in Haitang Bay, Sanya, Hainan Province, China. It was used in the Formula E race. As one of the few high-level temporary street circuits in China, the circuit combines tropical coastal scenery with difficult technical corners, posing severe challenges to the driver's control skills, car tuning and energy management.

Track Overview

• Location: Haitang Bay, Sanya, Hainan Province, China
• Track Type: Temporary Street Circuit
• Track Length: Approximately 2.236 km
• Number of Bends: 11
• Direction of Driving: Clockwise
• Event History: Formula E Sanya was held for the first time in 2019

Track Layout Analysis

The Sanya Haitang Bay Circuit adopts a typical street circuit design, with a narrow track, short straights and difficult technical corners, requiring drivers to have precise control capabilities and efficient energy management strategies.

Key Section Analysis

1. Starting Point and Turn 1

• The starting area of the track is short, and the acceleration ability of the car is required to be high at the start.
• Entering Turn 1 is a sharp right turn, and congestion or even accidents are very likely to occur after the start.
• Drivers need to brake carefully and pay attention to the inner line defense to avoid collision.

2. Turn 3 - Turn 5 (continuous corner area)

• This section is a combination of low-speed corners, which requires frequent braking and rapid adjustment of the car's posture.
• Due to the limited width of the track, overtaking is difficult, and drivers mainly rely on mistakes in front to find opportunities.
• The track surface has low grip and is prone to locking or pushing.

3. Turn 7 - Turn 9 (overtaking opportunity point)

• Turn 7 is a high-speed left turn, and drivers can use the short straight before the turn to try to overtake.
• The braking point before entering Turn 8 (sharp right turn) is very important. Late braking may miss the ideal cornering line.
• Since this is a key overtaking point in the race, defensive and offensive tactics are very important.

4. Last section (Turn 10 - Turn 11)

• The last section of the track includes a long straight and a 90-degree right turn (Turn 11), which is one of the most important overtaking points in the whole race.
• Drivers need to increase their exit speed as much as possible when exiting the corner in order to achieve better acceleration performance on the last straight.
• Energy management is crucial, and excessive use of power may affect the rhythm of the last few laps.

Technical features and challenges

1. Highly challenging energy management

As a Formula E street circuit, the short straights and frequent low-speed corners of Sanya Haitang Bay Circuit pose a great challenge to energy consumption. Drivers need to accurately control the energy recovery system (Regen) and reasonably allocate power during attack and defense to avoid losing competitiveness due to insufficient energy in the later stages.

2. Low grip & track pollution

Due to the humid coastal environment of Sanya, the track may accumulate sand or moisture, affecting tire grip. In addition, the track surface is relatively smooth, especially during FP1, and drivers usually need several laps to build up enough grip.

3. Overtaking is difficult, and strategy determines victory or defeat

The Sanya track is limited in width and there are few areas for overtaking, so qualifying performance is crucial. At the same time, energy management, attack mode and safety car strategy during the race may become key factors in determining victory or defeat.

Game history and classic moments

• 2019 Formula E Sanya Station:
• Jean-Éric Vergne of the DS Techeetah team won the championship, showing precise defensive ability.
• There were many accidents during the race, especially at Turns 1 and 8, reflecting the high difficulty of the track.

Due to the epidemic and the adjustment of the calendar, the track failed to become a fixed station in the long-term Formula E calendar, but its technical challenges and the uniqueness of the coastal track make it a track worth remembering.

Summary

Although the Sanya Haitang Bay Circuit is relatively short, it is a very challenging street circuit due to its complex low-speed corners, difficult overtaking points and high requirements for energy management. For racers, winning here requires not only excellent driving skills but also precise strategy execution. If the track returns to international competitions in the future, it will still be an exciting venue.