Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali hailed the “impressive plan” to host a Bangkok Grand Prix in Thailand after a meeting with the nation’s Prime Minister.
Domenicali travelled from the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne to head to Thailand to discuss with the government in Bangkok plans to host F1 in the iconic city.
Following the Tuesday meeting, the Italian came away with positive thoughts regarding the feasibility of expanding F1 to the Thai region.
“I was delighted to meet with Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of Thailand, and her team today to discuss their impressive plans to host a race in Bangkok.
“I am looking forward to continuing our discussions in the weeks and months ahead.”
Domenicali has overseen F1’s expansion into new regions during his tenure as CEO, which was recently extended through 2029.
F1 has established a strong foothold in the Middle East and the United States of America, with the USA now hosting three Grand Prix on an annual basis.
Now, F1’s plan is to expand into new markets and interest has been drawn not only from Thailand, but South Africa, Rwanda and South Korea.
The South-East Asian market is of particular interest however, and a Thai GP would certainly be warmly received given the presence of Anglo-Thai driver Alex Albon on the current F1 grid.
Moreover, Thai billionaire Chalerm Yoovidhya is the 51% majority owner of Red Bull GmbH, the parent company of Red Bull Racing.
Domenicali: ‘F1 receiving a lot of attention from several regions’
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 in Melbourne, Domenicali said: “The good thing we were able to do in the last couple of years is to focus on the place that we do believe represents the future for F1.
“We receive a lot of attention from other places in the world.
“We have other places in Europe, as you know there are interests in Africa, there are interests in South America as well.”
What could an F1 Thailand GP look like?
Thailand currently hosts the FIM MotoGP world championship at the Buriram circuit and made moves to lure F1 to the region last year.
Former Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited Domenicali at the Emilia Romagna GP last year in Imola, but his plans were put on hold after Thailand’s Constitutional Court ordered him to be removed from office.
Prime Minister Shinawatra has helped move plans forward with Domenicali and F1 reporter Joe Saward has key insights as to what both parties could be looking to glean from a potential Grand Prix partnership.
Saward reports that F1 is looking for an exciting Asian venue to commit to a long-term, stable, government-guaranteed GP, ideally with a 10-year contract.
It’s also believed that plans are being evaluated for a permanent track to be built in Bangkok, which will be welcome news for F1 purists and the ‘not another street circuit brigade.’
Plans to redevelop a former Bangkok bus station adjacent to a public park could prove fertile ground for such a development while maintaining a presence in one of the most thriving cities in the world.
The major issue left for Domenicali to judge is keeping the F1 calendar limited to its already bloated 24-round self.
Some headway has been made on this front, with the Belgian GP accepting a rotational deal with its recent extension and the Dutch GP due to drop off the calendar after 2026.
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