F1 eyeing two more street races in Asia: senior official

Formula One is looking to stage two more street races in Asia as part of a drive to win new fans, one of the sport’s most senior officials told AFP on Tuesday.

F1 is reinventing itself under US- based Liberty Media, who completed their takeover of motorsport’s most prestigious brand in January in a deal valued at about $ 8 billion, ending the four- decade reign of Bernie Ecclestone as Formula One’s colorful ringmaster.

Singapore’s night street circuit has proved particularly popular with fans and drivers since making its debut in 2008 and managing director of commercial operations, Sean Bratches, says F1 enthusiasts can expect to see more street races in future.

“I’m spending a lot of time reaching out proactively to cities ... and think ultimately we will realize more street races than we have seen historically,” he said, speaking in Shanghai, a race in the current calendar.

“We will go to iconic cities where there are large fan bases, particularly new fan bases that we can activate.”

Asked if that meant more street circuits in Asia, he said, “Yes, two.”

In the last five years the Indian and Korean Grands Prix have both fallen off the race calendar, while Malaysia has announced that this year’s race will be the last due to rising costs and low returns.

Bratches said that in terms of sheer fan numbers Asia is F1’ s biggest market and they are in negotiations for races in “entirely new places.”

The plan is to have a third of the season each in the Americas, Europe and Asia, said Bratches.

Unlike at present, when races jump from region to region, they will take place one continent at a time, he added, benefiting fans, sponsors, teams and organizers.

Bratches also said a new deal to keep the Chinese Grand Prix in the F1 calendar has been agreed in principle and will likely be sealed within weeks.

The sport released its 2018 race schedule in June and Shanghai was only listed as provisional, along with Singapore.

That prompted speculation that both races might be axed from the roster.

But Bratches told AFP, “We’ve been working hard with Juss Event, the promoter, and we’ve got an agreement in principle.

“My suspicion is that it will be executed by the end of next month, fully executed.”