Thailand, Rwanda, South Korea… What will be the next new destination for Formula 1?

Bangkok, Thailand

This is perhaps the project that has the most chance of succeeding on our list. A Thai Grand Prix would be in the cards for years to come. It's no secret: the Formula 1 aims to obtain a second Grand Prix in South-East Asia, with Singapore.

In any case, this is the wish of Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media: “There is a lot of interest in Asia. There are a lot of countries that want a Formula 1 race and we're really looking at where our fans are and where they could be, who could put on a big race and who can frankly afford [to put on] a race . I think we could very well see a second [Grand Prix] in Southeast Asia." he declared last May.

Several clues suggest the arrival of Thailand on the Formula 1 calendar: the former Thai Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, was notably present in Imola for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to discuss with Stefano Domenicali, president of Formula 1. Last June, the head of government also mentioned the cities of Bangkok and Pattaya, including U-Tapao airport, to host an urban or semi-urban circuit. Thailand would then be ready to organize a Grand Prix in 2027 or 2028.

In pursuit of our F1 goal, the U-Tapao Airport project includes a facility for the “circuit race” type which provides maximum safety; while Bangkok and Pattaya are being assessed for the “city race” type with captivating City of Angels and the scenic beachside race routes… pic.twitter.com/NZA3IhYJUc

— Srettha Thavisin (@Thavisin) June 23, 2024

However, this path took a bit of a hit in mid-August with the ouster of Srettha Thavisin as Prime Minister in Thailand. A turnaround that will sound the death knell for the Thai candidacy?

Incheon, South Korea

However, Thailand is in competition with two other countries: Indonesia and especially South Korea, which would like to re-enter the Formula 1 calendar more than ten years later. At the start of the 2010s, Yeongam hosted four Grands Prix between 2010 and 2013, but the city project built around the circuit was a bitter failure.

This time, South Korea returns with new arguments. Last April, The Independant relayed that the city of Incheon had sent a “letter of intent” to Formula 1 to host an urban Grand Prix in 2026. No Yeongam therefore, but a new circuit project just a few kilometers from the capital Seoul. Another possibility: the Inje Speedium, which is tipped to host the South Korean round of Super Formula in 2025. Two local applications for the moment but which could be taken to a national scale against Thailand.

Kigali, Rwanda

If F1 is aiming for a second Grand Prix in Asia Pacific, it is above all aiming for a first Grand Prix in Africa. Formula 1 has not visited the African continent since 1993 and the last South African Grand Prix. However, in recent weeks, it is not the rainbow nation that holds the rope, but Rwanda. The country of 14 million inhabitants is experiencing full economic growth and is increasingly relying on its soft power in the sporting world in order to restore its image, thirty years after the terrible genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda.

“It’s time for Africa to be part of the F1 calendar, said Christian Gakwaya, president of the Automobile Club of Rwanda, in comments relayed by Motor Sport Magazine. Rwanda, as a country, is committed and ready to host a Formula 1 race. We are working within the formal framework of F1 and we are serious about our bid. (…) With greater visa freedom and an airline serving many destinations, Rwanda is the ideal location for the return of Formula 1 to Africa. »

At present, no indication has been given concerning a possible venue or a circuit which could organize a Formula 1 Grand Prix. In line with the new urban circuits, which are becoming more and more numerous in F1, the capital Kigali therefore acts as favorite.

If the environmental characteristics (the city is located at an altitude of 1300 meters) could hamper this track, Stefano Domenicali assured that serious discussions were underway with the local authorities and the Automobile Club of Rwanda. “They are serious. They presented a good plan and we have a meeting with them at the end of September. This will be an ongoing project,” said the president of Formula 1 from Motorsport.com. Let’s also not forget that Kigali will host the FIA ​​awards ceremony in December 2024…

Kyalami, South Africa

It's been a real sea serpent for years: will Formula 1 return to South Africa, to Kyalami, after leaving it in 1993? Every year, the subject comes back to the table, but no major progress has been noted for several months. Two years ago, South Africa came very close to returning to the calendar for the 2023 season, but the signing collapsed at the last moment.

« I was part of it (of the organization). My nephew worked on the project for 6 years. It was a close call, then confided the South African world champion Jody Scheckter to Total Motorsport.com. The Kyalami boss's [demand] finally went from 500 to 000 million, he wanted to take everything. F1 had come to sign. We had received support from the government and some of the richest people in South Africa. Everything was in place but the person in question from Kyalami suddenly became too greedy. As soon as F1 left, it completely changed the game. The government realized there was an (internal) fight and withdrew. »

© Kyalami Circuit

Since then, black screen. Always appreciated by fans, the Kyalami circuit is waiting for its time. Last January, Mohammed Ben Sulayem returned in turn on the possibility of organizing a new Grand Prix in Africa in the future. In an interview given to our German colleagues from Motorsport-Magazin, the Emirati leader pushed for a return of F1 to the continent. “We have very good contacts in Africa. More attention should be paid to Africa”, declared the president of the FIA.

“If we want to develop there, we can't do it from above. I can't give orders, here the water doesn't flow down. It's the opposite, it goes from bottom to top. You have to start with the basics, explained Mohammed Ben Sulayem to clarify that it is up to the country and the authorities concerned to develop to bring back F1. In South Africa they have a lot of history in motorsport. Since last year, there has been a lot of talk about the return of Formula 1 to Kyalami. This would be a great thing for Africa. We are also thinking about an electric championship that would like to involve Africa. »

The return of Formula 1 to South Africa is also supported by many figures from the motorsport world and some drivers themselves. Lewis Hamilton had notably declared in 2023 that he wanted “run there before retiring”. If the Kyalami circuit is regularly mentioned to welcome the discipline again, the latter will first have to obtain Grade 1 from the FIA, obligatory to organize an F1 Grand Prix. Currently the circuit is FIA Grade 2.

Osaka, Japan

We arrive at the projects which are a little more vague and among them, that of Osaka, in Japan. Before the extension of the Suzuka circuit for five years, the megalopolis had applied to host a Grand Prix in the city in 2025, as part of the Universal Exhibition.

“We would like to move forward with an application, said the president of the Osaka tourism bureau, Hiroshi Mizohata.. F1 is no longer an isolated car race, but has transformed into a complete entertainment program. If we take each step, it is possible to attract [Formula 1]. We welcome any idea of ​​taking up the challenge of private management. I think there are challenges ahead, but we would like to cooperate as much as possible. » The idea of ​​a city circuit, on public roads, was favored.

Obviously, the extension of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka nipped this project in the bud… well, is that really the case? Already at the time, the idea of ​​cohabitation between Suzuka and Osaka was already mentioned. But with the proliferation of applications around the world, it still seems quite compromised.

Barranquilla, Colombia

In this list, the Colombian project is the least well underway. However, in 2023, the South American country was not far from an agreement to organize a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Barranquilla. Alas, the agreement reached between Madrid and F1 for a Grand Prix in 2026 has buried Colombian hopes.

“[Early 2023], it was 95% done, but someone ruined everything, and I don't know who or what, confided Juan Pablo Montoya in October 2023 in the columns of Week. I went to Barranquilla with the Formula 1 leaders to examine the route. Everything was done, just the signature was missing. We were considering an entry on the calendar in 2028. However, they ended up giving priority to Madrid. » 

Colombia, which was promoting a Caribbean Grand Prix, has reportedly given up hope of hosting Formula 1 in the near future. But the contacts established with F1 authorities could serve as a foundation for a new project in the years to come. “ Maybe we will have our chance again in 2028, we will see” concluded the former Colombian Formula 1 driver.

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