Hanoi announces 5.5km circuit for 2020 F1 race

By Vo Hai   November 7, 2018 | 05:28 am PT
Hanoi announces 5.5km circuit for 2020 F1 race
An F1 car joins a parade in Ho Chi Minh City in May 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Bao Lam
Vietnam’s first Formula 1 race in 2020 will have a 5.565km long circuit in Hanoi, officials said Wednesday.

The 7-day event would also include parades, showcasing of race cars and other events, Chase Carey, Formula 1 CEO, said at the Wednesday press conference.

"Hoping that with good preparation, we would have successful races in Hanoi," he said.

Earlier this month, city officials had announced that Vietnam would become the third Southeast Asian nation to host the racing franchise after Malaysia and Singapore.

Hanoi has already signed a 10-year contract to host the race, which could be extended at the 8th year mark, Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of Hanoi’s People’s Committee, said at the press meet.

Previously, the city had planned to organize the race around the iconic Hoan Kiem Lake and neighboring roads, but later decided to move the location to near My Dinh National Stadium, where the roads are wider. The area is "optimal" to organize the race thanks to sufficient traffic infrastructure, Formula 1 experts said.

When streets are barricaded around 4-5 days before the racing event starts, Hanoi will re-route traffic through other streets.

The first race will be held in April 2020, with ticket prices announced in April 2019, Chung said.

"From this evening, the whole world will know that Vietnam will be organizing F1," he said.

The capital city will earn revenues from ticket sales, advertisements, side events, merchandising and broadcasting rights, among others, he said.

The event will be organized by Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate Vingroup.

Besides the main race which will take around four hours, there will be parades and exhibitions, the organizers said.

The FIA Formula One World Championship, or Formula 1, is an international single-seater auto racing competition sanctioned by the International Automobile Federation (FIA). It has been one of the most popular forms of racing around the world since its inaugural season in 1950.

Each season of Formula 1 consists of a series of races held worldwide on purpose-built circuits as well as public roads. Out of the 21 races in this year's season, six will be hosted in Asia - Bahrain, China, Japan, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore.

 
 
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