F1 to race in Thailand in 2015, says Ecclestone
2015 F1 season
A new round of the world championship will take place in Thailand from 2015, according to Bernie Ecclestone in the Wall Street Journal.
Thailand is expected to follow the lead of Singapore’s Grand Prix by holding a night race on a street circuit.
Ecclestone said the organisers are keen to hold their race at an earlier date. “They say 2014 and I say 2015,” said Ecclestone of the proposal. “It is serious and it is good.”
The 2014 calendar is already slated to include a new race in Russia in 2014 and a second Grand Prix in the USA.
A Red Bull demonstration run in Bangkok two years ago attracted a crowd of over 100,000.
The soft drink originated in Thailand in the seventies when Chaleo Yoovidhya’s company created an energy drink called Krathing Daeng. Before his death in March he was estimated to be one of the richest men in the world. The planned race is backed by his son Chalerm.
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
Aditya Banerjee (@chicanef1) said on 19th December 2012, 16:30
So we now have races in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. That makes it three in close proximity.
Then, it is going to be a night race. The costs of holding a night race are tremendously high, not to mention the environmental damage it causes.
Another night race on another street circuit. What was a novelty in Singapore is now being taken up elsewhere. Could this be the future of Formula 1?
A tentative calendar a few years from now(provided ’2012′ doesn’t strike ‘The Day After Tomorrow’.):
Round 1. Australia
Round 2. Malaysia
Round 3. China
Round 4. Hong Kong
Round 5. Bahrain
Round 6. United States 1
Round 7. Monaco
Round 8. Singapore
Round 9. Japan
Round 10. Korea
Round 11. Thailand
Round 12. India
Round 13. Abu Dhabi
Round 14. United States 2
Round 15. United States 3
Round 16. Venezuela
Round 17. Mexico
Round 18. Argentina
Round 19. Qatar
Round 20. Italy
Max Jacobson (@vettel1) said on 20th December 2012, 22:57
Please for the love of god no! That’d be just as bad as Bahrain @chicanef1 ! No Belgium either – what a calendar that’d be!
Max Jacobson (@vettel1) said on 20th December 2012, 23:03
I’m not sure how Italy would work out in November/December either and no German GP? If that happens I think we’d have a lot of angry fans!
Aditya Banerjee (@chicanef1) said on 21st December 2012, 4:54
@vettel1 What happened was that Bernie dies after the Qatari GP, and the new F1 rights’ owner adds Monza to increase the fanbase from 500 followers.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1) said on 21st December 2012, 10:41
@chicanef1 – f1fanatic should be given control of the calendar after Bernie dies!
Aditya Banerjee (@chicanef1) said on 21st December 2012, 12:10
@vettel1 I hope so, too!!!
Postreader said on 20th December 2012, 23:14
I can see that being the long-term F1 reality, but not within 10-15 years at least.
DC (@dujedcv) said on 20th December 2012, 23:13
Hey people, how about an F1 race on Moon? Or Dakar rally on Mars?? Instead of bringing back French GP, for example (a profitable race).