Report: Hanoi Hopes to Host Formula 1

Vietnam has just one racetrack and no motorsport history, but this could put the country on the radar for racers.
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Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, has resurfaced as a potential site for a Formula 1 Grand Prix, according to a report by Forbes, which says that official news on the race is due within a matter of weeks.

Proposals for new Grand Prix venues have been kicked around since Liberty Media proposed raising the number of races per season, with a calendar 25 races in length tabled last year. Vietnam was first considered a possibility in F1 circles in August of last year, alongside Argentina, but neither looked to be promising destinations for international motorsport at the time.

A meeting between the sport’s promoters and commercial rights holders (Liberty Media) regarding the Grand Prix was reported to have been held Wednesday. As before, a Hanoi street circuit is the preferred setting for the race, as opposed to the country’s sole racetrack, one Happyland Circuit.

Street circuits made up three of the 2017 F1 season’s 20 races, and include Monaco, Azerbaijan, and Singapore. Others, such as Australia, Russia, and Canada are part-time tracks, and spend the rest of the year as parks.

All three street circuits produced some of the season’s highlights. In Monaco, Kimi Räikkönen landed on pole for the first time in nine years, but he succumbed Sunday to a teammate who had been quicker all weekend, save for his Q3 appearance, incensing some fans. 

Azerbaijan produced a chaotic race too, with enough crashes, penalties, overtakes, and broken records to make it one for the record books. Singapore started with two historic firsts: The first wet night race, and a double retirement for Ferrari.

More about each of these Grand Prix weekends can be found in my list of the 2017 F1 season’s most controversial moments.