Great intro BR - top shelf as always!
I remember what a huge impact Shanghai had when first built - at the time, it cost a reported $500 mill and was something quite special. Since then we've had some "big build" circuits but there was a definite "wow" factor to begin with.
The circuit is actually built on reclaimed land and polystyrene was used extensively in the groundworks to enable the track build - it's POSSIBLE that there may have been some settling in the 5 years since F1 was last here, so maybe a few bumps to deal with?
The surface was treated last year and if it's anything like the liquid treatment used by some kart circuits here in Oz, it may have caused the circuit to "grip up" quite a bit.
One Practice session & then we're into it - could be quite a weekend!