Greece looking to host Formula 1 event near Athens – Formula 1 news
The Greek government has given a green signal to back up a proposal to host a grand prix at the port of Piraeus near Athens.
The plan to have a grand Prix event at the location came from the municipality of Drapetsona. It is an area of Piraeus which is almost 10 miles away from Athens the capital of the country.
The area that the municipality has decided to use as a circuit was formerly an industrial area. It has been useless for some time now and redeveloping it into a 3.23-mile circuit are the initial plans.
Greece is already under a heavy toll due to the economic downturn and the planning a Formula 1 event at this time would be a fantastic way for the government to increase revenue and tourism to the country.
Sports minister Konstantinos Cavaras has confirmed that the project has the backing of the government. He however did not mention the where all the funding would come from as developing a Formula 1 circuit is not a cheap proposition, in fact it is quite
expensive.
The last thing Formula 1 would need is another locations backing out or causing problems due to financial constraints, as it already happened in Austin, Texas. The circuit in the US nearly got cancelled due to financial issues but has since been worked out
and it now on its way to completion.
“We have to support all projects that market Greece,” Cavaras is quoted by Autoweek. “The possibility of having Drapetsona host a Formula One race would be very important for the development of Piraeus.”
In addition to the governments support minister Tzavaras has also lent support to the bid and has said that the race would be able to generate worldwide interest and that can only mean good things for Greece.
“The prospect of holding Formula One races in Drapetsona raises expectations for upgrading our tourism product through the promotion of the historic port of Piraeus and the reformation of the broader region. Such a project would create new jobs and place
our country anew on the international stage,” he said.
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