Motor racing-F1 interested in second race in South-East Asia

Liberty Media

24/05/2024 10:58

By Alan Baldwin
       MONACO, May 24 (Reuters) - Formula One is seeing a surge
of interest in China and could easily add a second race in
southeast Asia, according to the boss of the sport's owners
Liberty Media.
    Chief Executive Greg Maffei said at the Monaco Grand Prix
that Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia were all interested in
hosting an Asian round, with the championship currently at a
record 24 races.
    South Korea previously hosted a grand prix in Mokpo but
local organisers are now interested in bringing racing to the
capital Seoul.
    Thailand's Prime Minister attended last weekend's race at
Italy's Imola circuit, with talk of a race in Bangkok, while
Liberty Media recently acquired MotoGP, which has races in
Thailand and Indonesia.
    Formula One returned to China this year after a four-year
absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Sauber's Guanyu Zhou
making his home debut.
    "We're lucky that we were able to get a Chinese race off
this year after four years (out)," Maffei told an event attended
by Las Vegas Grand Prix promoters.
    "It was very successful. The interest in China has exploded
in part because we now have a Chinese driver.  
    "There's a lot of interest across Asia...Thailand, Seoul, 
we've had interest from Indonesia. 
    "There are lots of places which want a Formula One race and
we really look to the intersection of where our fans are and
where they could be, who could run a great race and who can
frankly afford a race.
    "I think you could very easily see a second one in Southeast
Asia," he added.
    Singapore is the only southeast Asian race after Malaysia's
round was dropped. Thailand is represented on the Formula One
grid by British-born Williams driver Alex Albon, whose mother is
Thai.
    Maffei also said Formula One, which has invested heavily in
Las Vegas, hoped to build on last year's inaugural night grand
prix on the famed Strip in which problems with loose drain
covers halted practice.
    "We would surely like to make more money in Las Vegas but
over time, I expect we will," he said
    "I think we'll be smarter next time. And we'll be more
efficient and will probably be less disruptive to the community
and understand better what the fans want," Maffei said.

 (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)
 ((alan.baldwin@thomsonreuters.com; +442075427933;))