Thailand planning to hold F1 night race in 2014
2014 F1 season
Thailand is poised to become the next country to join the F1 calendar in 2014.
The governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand Kanokphand Chulakasem told the Bangkok Post a deal had been agreed in principle with Bernie Ecclestone.
“It will be a city race like that in Singapore and Monaco. It will be a night race like the Singapore Grand Prix,” said Kanokphand.
Mark Webber performed an F1 demo run on Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok in December 2010 which was watched by over 100,000 people.
The only Thai driver to have competed in the world championship was Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh (usually referred to as B Bira) who drove for Maserati, among others, in the 1950s.
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 10:32
To the Google Maps Pedometer!
Kingshark (@kingshark) said on 27th September 2012, 11:00
No need. They can just have an oval race around the ring road of Bangkok.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 11:01
Unfortuantely, there’s not a whole lot I can do with Bangkok.
Which is surprising, given how big it is. These are the only two I could come up with that look remotely interesting:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683418
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683424
Neither seems particularly feasible.
Kingshark (@kingshark) said on 27th September 2012, 11:03
This is where my idea of the giant-oval race around the ring road comes into play.
Kingshark (@kingshark) said on 27th September 2012, 11:25
How about this:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8029286693_b2abb54f4d_b.jpg
That thing will give Suzuka a run for its money.
dirgegirl (@dirgegirl) said on 27th September 2012, 11:41
Maybe around Lumpini park?
The trouble with Bangkok as a street circuit venue is its flatness, building density, narrow roads and lack of landmarks next to roads. I love visiting for the food and the vibe but it’s not a beautiful city – it’s a dirty, smoky, humid sprawl with some isolated wonders – mainly temples.
I can’t see that it would add anything to the calendar. It would certainly make the traffic even worse.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 11:57
I tried, but there was nothing interesting there. It’s all straight roads and ninety-degree bends.
Victor. (@victor) said on 27th September 2012, 15:32
I agree, I think it’s a stupid idea.
andae23 (@andae23) said on 27th September 2012, 11:57
I created a forum topic for this: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/groups/f1/forum/topic/thailand-circuit-lay-out/
KeeleyObsessed (@keeleyobsessed) said on 27th September 2012, 12:12
@prisoner-monkeys
The top design actually looks very good, but I’m not sure how well the cars would take to such a sudden sharp change of direction at the start. Also the double-back on the roundabout is probably a safety concern, not sure how well they can get a crane to that part if needed
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 12:23
@keeleyobsessed
They’d probably do just fine. There’s a few flower beds in the middle of median strips that could be removed.
With ease – they would just have to be stationed on side roads and on the eastern side of the roundabout.
PhilEReid (@philereid) said on 27th September 2012, 12:22
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683470
What do you think? It just seems ridiculously tight at most areas.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 12:32
@philereid – Yeah, it’s a little too tight. You’ve also got places where the circuit would have cars coming at each other head-on with no room for run-off areas.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 12:58
A few of the ideas I rejected:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683489
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683491
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683495
The problem with a race in Bangkok is that while the city streets are clearly laid out in a planned pattern, there’s no actual planning as to what goes where. It’s very difficult to find roads that are wide enough for a race, but which don’t go through an urban area. And given that there are a lot of run-down and poorer areas, having a Formula 1 race through these parts of town would be in poor taste, not to mention difficult to get the locals to accept the idea of the race taking place. I remember the World Rally Championship went to China in 1999, and Colin McRae complained that no-one had told the locals that a race was on, so they went about their business oblivious to speeding rally cars until said speeding rally cars arrived. I can see similar problems here, though probably not as dramatic.
This, naturally raises a lot of the same questions that were asked last year when Formula 1 visited India: can a sport as expensive and as extravagant as Formula 1 really travel to nations that are still developing? The answer in India was yes; the Indians took to the race better than any other new host nation has for their inaugural race in the recent past. But I’m not sure the answer will be the same in Thailand. With so much government support for races these days, particularly given the value of a race – governments tend to see a Grand Prix as being a sign that they are open to the world – instances like this beg the difficult question of what Formula 1′s role in all of this is.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso) said on 27th September 2012, 14:07
@prisoner-monkeys Good tracks man, as always. However, the circuit length would be my problem. Its not that I do not enjoy the racing at Signapore, which I think is fantastic. But 2 2-hour dry races (not including the SC) would be a bit much. The sting comes out of these races far earlier than track based races usually and although there are many pro and cons about long street races, two novelty races oversteps the mark for me. It will be very interesting to see if the organisers learn from Singapore.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 28th September 2012, 2:35
@rbalonso – I did consider that, and I tried to create something that would actually be very high speed. Although both are quite long, they are also very fast, so I imagine that a race on either of them would come in comfortably under two hours.
Paulocreed (@paulocreed) said on 27th September 2012, 14:28
The first one looks really interesting.
3239 (@vfbi60) said on 27th September 2012, 14:36
The first one is right in front of my house!
Sadly, many corners are too tight and very dangerous.
3239 (@vfbi60) said on 27th September 2012, 14:48
And they do need big modifications to make them safe.
verstappen (@verstappen) said on 27th September 2012, 21:06
The first has some Tilke-esque parts (malaysia comes to mind – which I like), but the 2nd one is more like Monza!
However, realising we’re talking street circuits here they could be extra interesting or extra boring…
Boy, the excitement I felt when the high speed street circuit Valencia was introduced… At least this year was good, despite the track.
Atoy (@atoy) said on 27th September 2012, 22:52
You guys create a map, but I’m more interested on how they would name the corners. That would be challenging for the commentators! Thanon Ratchadamnoen Klang hairpin, anyone?
3239 (@vfbi60) said on 28th September 2012, 8:53
That “Thanon Ratchadamnoen Klang” hairpin would be named as “Democracy Monument” hairpin, I think.
necrodethmortem (@necrodethmortem) said on 27th September 2012, 12:20
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683473
Not quite realistic, but I tried my best to make something cool out of this terrible news (which I had seen coming).
necrodethmortem (@necrodethmortem) said on 27th September 2012, 12:31
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683479
This one is actually feasible and the idea of a high-speed urban road circuit actually gets me excited.
necrodethmortem (@necrodethmortem) said on 27th September 2012, 13:02
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683515
This one’s not horrible either.
Chalky (@chalky) said on 27th September 2012, 13:51
Well if you set a challenge. Here’s mine.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5683564
I quite like it, with the pits complex to be built Sanamluang Park.
smokinjoe (@smokinjoe) said on 27th September 2012, 20:18
Maybe we see ladyboys replace the grid girls for thai gp
silencer (@silencer) said on 27th September 2012, 10:35
wow.. 3 races in South East Asia.
Put it back to back in one month if possible
Joanna Bessey (@bernie-ecclescake) said on 27th September 2012, 10:54
What’s next? Indonesia GP? Laos GP? Timor Leste GP perhaps?
Lothario said on 27th September 2012, 11:09
The Sentul circuit which played host to a GP2 Asia Series round in ’08 could host the Indonesian GP?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 12:00
Sentul was originally intended to host an Indonesian Grand Prix, but the plan fell through halfway through construction and the circuit was shortened so that the incomplete circuit would at least be good for something. They’re lucky they got anything done at all, because it wasn’t long before Asia went into economic meltdown.
aditya (@agara) said on 27th September 2012, 12:49
well at least, we have one driver here in indonesia (Rio Haryanto, GP3 multiple winner, 1 GP2 pole and FL), and he’s at the moment one of the fastest young asian driver. so maybe when he finally get an F1 seat and with our current healthy economy growth, its not impossible to see another South East Asian GP
Tommo N7 (@tommothfc) said on 27th September 2012, 10:56
Well that’s something I didn’t want to hear. Another street race that will probably be boring. At this rate there will be a vast shortage of traditional race circuits on the calendar.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 12:13
There’s only a handful of “traditional race circuits” in the world. So long as the calendar keeps expanding, new circuits will quickly start to out-number the old circuits, which means you will always be able to complain about it, even if none of those old circuits are actually removed from the calendar.
Just look at the “traditional” circuits that have been removed from the calendar, particularly the European ones: Imola, Magny-Cours, Estoril, the Red Bull Ring (formerly the A1-Ring), Zandvoort and Zolder. In all honesty, if there were six circuits that I had to permanently remove from the calendar, it would be these six. Perhaps the only circuit that Formula 1 is weaker for not returning to is Watkins Glen, and the sport outgrew the circuit decades ago.
Aditya Banerjee (@chicanef1) said on 27th September 2012, 13:28
Whats wrong with the A1 Ring?? Its an excellent cricuit. Id gladly see races being held at Imola or Magny Cours than at featureless venues such as Abu Dhabi or Korea where no-one turns up. Or Bahrain,where the circuit is sponsored by the bloodthirsty ruling family.
Victor. (@victor) said on 27th September 2012, 15:44
Yeah, @prisoner-monkeys, in what ways exactly is say Abu Dhabi or Bahrain better than a high-speed blast through the mountains or the up and down of Imola? I never really understood the criticism of Magny-Cours either – I for one loved the quick chicanes (or “chickens”).
The other three I wouldn’t know much about to be fair, but I can’t imagine them being worse than an airfield with 90-degree turns.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 23:31
A more-global presence, for one. The Middle East is a region of the world that the sport can’t ignore.
Imola is little more than chicanes these days. I’d hardly call it “a high-speed blast up and down the mountain”. It might have been, once, but it’s since been neutered.
Because it’s pretty boring.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 23:32
It’s too small for Formula 1. In its final year, the cars were going so fast that they were getting very close to lapping in under a minute, and the FIA decided that enough was enough. With the current levels of downforce, almost everyone except HRT would probably be able to do a lap in under a minute.
Ilanin (@ilanin) said on 27th September 2012, 13:48
Very few of those circuits you have listed could reasonably make any claim to tradition except possibly for Zandvoort. Only Imola and Zandvoort hosted more than 20 races, and Zandvoort is the only one of those three to have appeared on the calendar before 1980. And Imola, in particular, was never a circuit F1 went to due to any great love of Imola, but (as is frequently commented on by season reviews and journalistic articles from the 1980s and 1990s) because it was felt that Italy merited two races a year and it happened to be Italy’s second circuit.
“Traditional” is not a euphemism for “European”.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 14:01
You think I didn’t take that into consideration? I’m struggling to name circuits outside Europe with a twenty-year-plus history that people would mourn the loss of as a “traditional” venue.
Ilanin (@ilanin) said on 27th September 2012, 16:02
Well, you started to take it into consideration; your first paragraph seemed to be leading in to arguing (correctly) that there aren’t really any traditional circuits (except, perhaps, Zandvoort) that have been lost to F1 – but then you decided to list a bunch of European circuits you clearly knew weren’t traditional in an attempt to make a point about the quality of European circuits removed from the calendar instead.
As for non-European circuits, well, Suzuka’s now seen 23 races, but I’m not going to claim a track added to the calendar in 1987 is traditional. Interlagos counts if Spa does (that is, if substantial modification and shortening of the track to accomodate safety concerns does not prevent a circuit from being traditional).
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 27th September 2012, 23:26
Name one “traditional” European circuit that has been removed from the calendar. Because that’s what we’re talking about: not “traditional” circuits, but “traditional” circuits that are not on the calendar anymore.
Those might be “traditional” circuits, but none of them have been removed from the calendar.
franco del as no sabe nada de f1 said on 27th September 2012, 10:57
i will spend a few weeks in pattaya, next month, i wish the gp in bangkok was now.
Kingshark (@kingshark) said on 27th September 2012, 10:58
As long as the circuit isn’t full of mickey mouse sections I’m fine. Night races do have a nice spectacle though.
Aditya Banerjee (@chicanef1) said on 27th September 2012, 13:30
On one hand,F1 reverts back to V6 engines to demonstrate its commitment to ecofriendly actions,on the other hand,multiple night races are going to grace the calender. Which smacks of hypocrisy,imho…
wificats (@wificats) said on 27th September 2012, 11:15
Just what F1 needs, another slow, insipid street circuit in a country with nothing to offer F1 but a large pot of cash. Bernie seems to be taking every step possible to decimate F1′s TV viewership with these awful new clone events, and the new pay-TV deals.
Thailand doesn’t even need F1, it’s not like it’s not a destination anyway. Thailand should hold onto their money and use it for some real development, and Bernie should try and bring F1 to somewhere that offers something more unique to ‘the show’ and has an audience to appreciate it.
Thecollaroyboys (@thecollaroyboys) said on 27th September 2012, 11:28
Agreed. Singapore needs an attraction like F1 but Thailand doesn’t, it’s already got enough attractions. Thismjust spunds like another pie in the sky idea.
SamS (@sams) said on 27th September 2012, 11:24
I have to say that the Thai racer surely has the best name ever for F1, i know that you have mentioned that he was B Bira, but how great would it have been if he had kept his full name, and what would have been his 3 letters for his name if he had…!
Davy said on 27th September 2012, 11:40
So long as the obsenely rich in F1 become slightly richer I’m happy.
matt90 (@matt90) said on 27th September 2012, 11:47
Having one night race is fine. Multiple night races just won’t be a novelty anymore, and as only the track is illuminated, will likely look far too similar to Singapore. I’ll hold of full judgement until I see a track map though. New Jersey surprised me with how good the layout is, so maybe this will do the same.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso) said on 27th September 2012, 14:10
+1 but there could be a high possibility of neither!
KeeleyObsessed (@keeleyobsessed) said on 27th September 2012, 12:09
Just another one to add to the list.. I can’t see how they can cope awarding 2 races to the USA when there’s a long list of countries wanting to hold a race (Russia, France, Thailand, Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, the list goes on)
The best way I can see the calendar having to cope with all the incoming races is by having a massive rotation system, grouping tracks into continents and then allowing each continent a certain number of races, weighted by driver’s preferences, track USPs, calendar constraints and popularity with the fans.
That’s the closest I could come up with to a ‘perfect system’, but to actually put it into practice would be a logistical nightmare, and expensive to pay off contracts for tracks like Silverstone that are on the calendar till 202X (Can’t remember the precise date)
ajokay (@ajokay) said on 27th September 2012, 12:23
Hurray! Another badly thought out street race in another country where no-one cares at night time in front of nobody and after 3 years everyone eill get bored and the government won’t want to pay and it’ll be replaced by yet another one of these. Repeat ad infinium.
Aditya Banerjee (@chicanef1) said on 27th September 2012, 13:31
+1
Mike (@mike) said on 28th September 2012, 1:06
Except, it isn’t those that are being pushed off the calender, but tracks like Nuremberg and Spa as they can’t keep up with the new cost figures.
Juan Pablo Heidfeld (@juan-pablo-heidfeld-1) said on 27th September 2012, 12:24
I really hope this doesn’t happen. There are already too many races in the east to begin with, in comparison to drivers, support and teams. Also if they have a night race, then Singapore just becomes a- another race, with nothing special at all.
Tayyib (@m0nzaman) said on 27th September 2012, 12:46
Agree with you we have an influx of asian grand prixs and the poorer ones like china and korea have good prospects of staying whereas suzuka seems under pressure to come up with the money when its a great track and having another night race detracts the appeal of singapore and thailand.
My ideal calendar would be:
Australia Melbourne
Malaysia Sepang (Back to Back)
China/Korea
Spain Barcelona
Monaco (Back to Back)
Canada Montreal
New York (Back to Back)
Russia
France Paul Ricard
Silverstone
Hockenheim
Hungary (Back to Back)
Summer break
Spa Francochamps
Monza (Back to Back)
Singapore
Suzuka
India
Mexico
Austin Texas (Back to Back)
Brazil Interlagos
Obviously not all the races here are confirmed, but in my opinion I took the races out abu dhabi and bahrain because the races have not been good enough but also is there a love for f1 or motorsport in general, I picked places like Texas and Mexico because the former as a nation has a large following of motorsport fans and Mexico has a great lineage and history and with f1′s breakout star Sergio Perez it could be a big success. I left the gap between texas and brazil just to allow for all of us to ponder and think and discuss what may happen if the championship goes down to the wire.
Those are my reasons please respond and post your own calendars.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1) said on 27th September 2012, 16:31
The Circuit de Catalunya isn’t a great track but it could be improved by removing that horrible final chicane.
Mike (@mike) said on 28th September 2012, 1:08
To which you have offered no solution to the problem in which the chicane was implemented to solve.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 28th September 2012, 3:01
@mike – I assume he means reverting the circuit to its original, pre-chicane configuration.
I doubt that will work. The chicane was put in place to address a problem. It didn’t work. Removing the chicane isn’t going to fix the problem. It’s just going to remove the chicane.
Personally, I don’t think there is any easy solution to the problem, short of radically altering the final sector.
Truman said on 27th September 2012, 12:31
I’m optimistic about this because i’ve still yet to see a race worse than Monaco.
Timothy Katz (@timothykatz) said on 27th September 2012, 12:45
In the words of John McKenroe, “You cannot . . . .”