ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A new contract has been announced to keep the Chinese Grand Prix part of the Formula 1 calendar until at least 2030. This agreement was revealed on Friday, bringing some excitement to fans despite F1’s first Chinese driver, Zhou Guanyu, currently lacking a racing seat for the upcoming season.

The previous contract for races at the Shanghai International Circuit, which was established in 2021, was set to expire next year. In the announcement regarding the contract extension, Formula 1 highlighted that China boasts a fanbase of approximately 150 million individuals, with the majority of them becoming fans in the past four years.

The upcoming Chinese Grand Prix is scheduled to take place in Shanghai as part of the 2025 season, slated for March 21 to 23, featuring a sprint race during the event. Zhou made history in 2022 as the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula 1, initially racing for a team that was then known as Alfa Romeo. Currently in his third season with the team, which now operates under the Sauber name, he finds himself without a position on the grid for 2024.

Zhou faced challenges in racing in China until this year, as multiple races in Shanghai were canceled due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first-ever Chinese Grand Prix took place in 2004 but was not held from 2020 to 2023 due to these cancellations.