Which Countries Might Host New Formula 1 Races?
Hosting a Formula 1 race is a point of pride for any country. It can help to put a country on the motorsports map and spread interest in racing throughout the country. In addition, it can also lead to additional tourist revenue as people come from around the world to watch races, and even as a promotional tool for people watching the event on television who might be interested in visiting in the future.
Even though the winner of the Drivers’ Championship has long been called the “world champion” that term was a misnomer for a long time. The first official Formula 1 season in 1950 consisted of eight races, seven of which were in Europe. The only exception was the Indianapolis 500, which was afforded status as a world championship race even though none of the top drivers on the circuit actually drove in it. It wouldn’t be until 1953 when the first true Formula 1 race would be held outside of Europe with the inaugural Argentine Grand Prix.
Things have changed radically since then. Formula 1 didn’t run its first race in Europe during the 2010 season until round five in Spain. Before then, the circuit had travelled to the Middle East and Asia with stops in Bahrain, Australia, Malaysia and China. Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has made a commitment to expand the sport’s brand worldwide and this has resulted in the schedule shifting to a more global model. Of the 19 races on the Formula 1 schedule this season, 10 will be held outside of Europe.
Ecclestone isn’t done shifting the geographic landscape of Formula 1 racing. The sport is continuing to explore new markets for racing and there are several countries which either have new races planned or are strong contenders for future dates. This includes the United States, where promoters have secured a long-term commitment to restart the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. While there are some questions about the ability to build a new, $300 million-plus purpose-built track in time for a 2012 race, Ecclestone is confident enough to suggest that there might be two races in America in the near future.
While the United States Grand Prix is a new version of a long-standing race, the Indian Grand Prix is starting from the ground up. Ecclestone has been aggressive in marketing Formula 1 to the Indian sub-continent for some time and for good reason - there is a market of more than one billion people for the sport and its sponsors to tap into. The series boasts a team (Force India) with major connections and there have been two Indian drivers racing in the sport. The Indian Grand Prix was originally slated for the 2010 schedule but was pushed back to 2011. Only time will tell if the additional year has helped in preparation for such a major undertaking.
Even with India and the United States slated to join the Formula 1 circuit, Ecclestone believes there is room for more races (even recently suggesting that the sport could “live without” the historic Monaco Grand Prix). It appears likely that another new Formula 1 race in the near future will be the Russian Grand Prix. Officials in Moscow recently said they are “close” to signing a deal to bring racing to the streets of Moscow as early as 2012. Ecclestone has also said that a race in Russia would be a top priority to open up new commercial opportunities for teams.
Another possibility for a future race is South Africa. The country was part of the world championship circuit off and on from 1962 until 1993. Ecclestone has said that he is optimistic that a new track can be completed in Cape Town within three years, enabling the sport to join global sports like football and rugby in having premier events in South Africa.
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