F1 Heading to Vietnam For the First Time

Formula One looks to be closing in on finalizing the Grand Prix deal that would bring the formula one series to Vietnam. Hanoi city in Vietnam has been decided as the venue for the event. The officials have said that F1 will be heading to Vietnam for a race on the date of April in the year of 2020. There will also be a street race around the capital city that will be joining the calendar event.

Here is the official statement released by the organizers:

“The city of Hanoi managed to conclude the cooperation to be entitled as the official host of a race of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship (from) April 2020.”

The government had clearly mentioned that it would not be funding the event and that the money would have to come in from the private sector of the country. “The prime minister said if Hanoi hosts (the race), the budget should be from the private sector,” Mai Tien Dung, the head of the government office, had said back in August.

However the race has not been announced officially, which would mean that Vietnam would have to wait until it becomes only the second south-east nation to host the race, after Singapore. The FIA’s race director, Charlie Whiting gave the backing to the event, by saying that it would not be a problem for them to organize the race in Vietnam.“That shouldn’t be a problem based on previous experience.” He also revealed in an exclusive interview with the channel, Fox Sports Asia, that he had been to the city of Hanoi to access the situation and added that he was very much confident that the entire F1 project would be ready in time to organize a race here in the year of 2020.