F1 now plan to rev up in Beijing

One is in talks with six local governments in China this week about holding a second Grand Prix in the country, said a senior F1 official, with a Beijing road race said to have been floated. A second Grand Prix – most likely on the streets – would complement the existing one on the $450m (R6.3bn) Shanghai International Circuit. No country currently has two Formula One races, although F1 officials are negotiating for a second Grand Prix in the United States. Formula One’s landmark 1,000th race took place in Shanghai on Sunday, underlining China’s growing role as the sport’s US-based owner looks to Asia. A source with knowledge of the matter said a race on the streets of the Chinese capital Beijing has been raised as one idea. Sean Bratches, Formula One’s managing director of commercial operations, did not confirm or deny the road-race plan for Beijing. “In terms of interest, we would be highly interested in a street race,” said Bratches. “It would be a nice juxtaposition to the purpose-built, extraordinary facility that we have here. “Our our intent is to bring show to the people.” Bratches said Formula One chiefs will this week embark on a visit to six potential host cities in China. “There’s meetings set up in each with government officials to talk about identifying a second city to host a Grand Prix,” said Bratches. “We think there’s an opportunity to grow from that perspective.” Liberty Media, which took over Formula One in early 2017 in a multibillion-dollar deal, wants to have more street races, believing that is the best way to attract new fans.