A Formula One race in Vietnam could be on the calendar by 2020, former F1 commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said.
“I think you’re going to get a race in Vietnam,” he told reporters invited to his private offices in central London to talk about various issues ahead of the new season starting next month.
The billionaire Briton, who in January last year was moved into an undefined “emeritus” role after US-based Liberty Media took over, said a street race in Hanoi looked likely.
Ecclestone said the Vietnamese government was willing to pay a significant amount to promote the Southeast Asian nation by hosting a Grand Prix.
“They haven’t made a contract yet as far as I know, but if they have, it’s at least two years away, isn’t it?” he said.
The Malaysian Grand Prix dropped off the calendar after last year’s race, but Formula One bosses have talked about expanding in China.
There have also been talks with Thailand, which have came to nothing, but Vietnam is already an important emerging market for some of the sport’s global sponsors.
Ecclestone told Reuters last year that he had talks with the Vietnamese while he was running Formula One, but decided, despite the money on offer, against taking the sport there, because he felt there were enough races in that part of the world.
However, he added that uncertainty over the sport’s future was something any local promoter should consider.
The current agreements between teams and Formula One mostly expire at the end of 2020, with glamor team Ferrari already threatening to leave if they do not like the direction things are headed.
There is also plenty of debate about what kind of engine to use after 2020, with the current V6 turbo hybrids criticized as too expensive, complicated and quiet.
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