Vietnamese race agreed as teams head to Brazil
FORMULA One has reached a deal to stage a race on the streets of Vietnam’s capital city.
The grand prix, which will take place in Hanoi, has been mooted for some time, but was officially confirmed by F1 officials yesterday.
The street race will be staged from 2020 onwards, and it becomes the first new addition to the calendar in the post-Bernie Ecclestone era.
Earlier this year, F1’s American owners’ Liberty Media were forced to put plans for a race in Miami on hold after opposition from local groups.
While there are just two of this year’s record-equalling 21 races remaining, Wednesday’s announce- ment, coupled with a potential Miami race in 2020, could now see that tally increase to 23, despite resistance from some teams.
The inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix, pencilled in for April 2020, will take place over a 3.46-mile track on a combination of existing and newlybuilt roads.
“We are delighted to announce that Hanoi will host a Formula One Grand Prix,” Chase Carey, the sport’s chairman, said.
“Since we became involved in this sport in 2017, we have talked about developing new destination cities to broaden the appeal of Formula One and the Vietnamese Grand Prix is a realisation of that ambition.
“We are thrilled to be here in Hanoi, one of the most exciting cities in the world right now with such a rich history and an incredible future ahead of it.
“This is the perfect formula for Grand Prix racing and I look forward to this becoming a real highlight of the F1 calendar.”
The new race will be promoted by Vingroup, a conglomerate controlled by property developer, and Vietnam’s first billionaire, Pham Nhat Vuong. Alongside Singapore, Japan and China, the Vietnamese race will be the fourth staged in Asia.
Formula One teams will employ police escorts at this week’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
Staff from Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team and Williams - both caught up in the multiple security incidents that overshadowed last year’s Sao Paulo race - as well as McLaren, are among those who are set to rely on the support of local law enforcers travelling to and from the Interlagos circuit. As well as using police protection, Press Association Sport understands that some of the teams will hire specialised drivers for the week, rather than regular staff driving as is the protocol for much of the season. Red Bull will also liaise with a security contact in Sao Paulo throughout the race weekend.