Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali held talks with Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on organising a Grand Prix race in Bangkok. The proposal is for a street race in the kingdom’s capital.
Formula 1 looks to expand in Asia
The Formula 1 season is already packed with 24 races around the world with four in the Asia-Pacific region-in Australia, China, Japan and Singapore –. A race in Bangkok will boost the popularity of the race in the Southeast Asia region.
Formula 1 chief executive Domenicali also posted a statement on X, describing the plans for a Bangkok race as “impressive.”
“I am looking forward to continuing our discussions in the weeks and months ahead,” the Italian added.
Thailand has an FIA accredited track in Buriram in the northeast of the country, the Chang International Circuit, which currently hosts a round of the MotoGP motorcycling world championships.
“We had the opportunity to discuss the opportunity of Thailand to host the Formula 1 race, which is a great sport with a worldwide following,” the Thai Prime Minister posted on X after the meeting with Domenicali at Government House.
“The government confirmed that it will study this joint investment, including the study of the race route, the investment budget, and the value for Thailand to receive from hosting the race.”
Paetongtarn said she thought hosting a race would be an opportunity to upgrade Bangkok’s infrastructure — the city’s roads are notoriously clogged — and attract more tourists from abroad, particularly visitors in the “high-end” market.
“I believe that all Thai people will benefit from organising this event, whether it is large-scale infrastructure investment, job creation, new income generation, and importing new technologies and innovations,” she added. “I am confident that this project will be successful. It is another important opportunity for the country to organise a world-class event.”
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Domenicali visited Bangkok April last year for talks with then-prime minister Srettha Thavisin, who pitched his vision of bringing a race to the Thai capital.
Thailand is not the only country wishing to host Formula 1 races — historic hosts France and Germany are seeking a return to the calendar, while the Turkish Grand Prix, last held in 2021, is also keen to host the race.
