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Formula 1: Green light given for race on streets of Hanoi, Vietnam

By Asher Fair

HANOI, VIETNAM - NOVEMBER 04: Motorbike drivers covered-up with face masks try to get through the morning peak hour traffic at Nga Tu So intersection on November 4, 2016 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Hanoi is ranked as one of the most polluted city in Southeast Asia with the air quality monitor installed by U.S. Embassy in the city center often shows Air Quality Index (AQI) of over 200 at day time, listed as â 'Very Unhealthy'. The main cause of this air pollution is over 5.3 million motorbikes and 560,000 cars in the traffic of Hanoi while figures continue to increase every year, according to reports. Vietnam's motorbike culture has taken over the bicycle in the capital, known to be one of the world's fastest expanding economy which resulted in the masks and gloves being a common sight in the tropical city, both to reduce inhalation of motorbike fumes and Vietnamese women to protect themselves from the sun. (Photo by Linh Pham/Getty Images)
HANOI, VIETNAM - NOVEMBER 04: Motorbike drivers covered-up with face masks try to get through the morning peak hour traffic at Nga Tu So intersection on November 4, 2016 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Hanoi is ranked as one of the most polluted city in Southeast Asia with the air quality monitor installed by U.S. Embassy in the city center often shows Air Quality Index (AQI) of over 200 at day time, listed as â 'Very Unhealthy'. The main cause of this air pollution is over 5.3 million motorbikes and 560,000 cars in the traffic of Hanoi while figures continue to increase every year, according to reports. Vietnam's motorbike culture has taken over the bicycle in the capital, known to be one of the world's fastest expanding economy which resulted in the masks and gloves being a common sight in the tropical city, both to reduce inhalation of motorbike fumes and Vietnamese women to protect themselves from the sun. (Photo by Linh Pham/Getty Images) /
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The Vietnam government have given the green light for the streets of the city of Hanoi to host a Formula 1 race in the near future.

Earlier this year, Liberty Media, the relatively new owners of Formula 1, gave the green light to the streets of the Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, to potentially host a Formula 1 race in the future, and it was expected that a race in the city would be announced relatively soon.

Now the Vietnam government have done so as well after Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey admitted back in June that the sport would be interested in discussing the country hosting a race at some point within the next few years and that he was excited by the possibility of it happening.

Here is what Mai Tien Dung, the chief of the government office, had to say about the matter of giving the city the green light, according to GPblog.com.

"“All (government) ministries and agencies support the idea to create a new attraction for Hanoi. Hanoi authorities have asked people living in the planned area for their opinions about holding the race and they have all shown their support, to attract tourists.”"

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Adding the Vietnamese Grand Prix to the 2019 schedule is not an option, as the 2019 schedule was just finalized and revealed earlier today following contract extensions being confirmed between Liberty Media and the German Grand Prix as well as Liberty Media and the Japanese Grand Prix, although the schedule is still pending official FIA approval.

That said, adding the race on the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam to the 2019 schedule was not a realistic option even before the 2019 schedule was released because of the fact that the green light had not yet been given by the city and Liberty Media sought to release the 2019 schedule as soon as possible.

However, the option of adding the Vietnamese Grand Prix to the 2020 schedule remains a possibility, although there are still several more things that need to happen in order to make that possibility a reality.

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Do you believe that a Vietnamese Grand Prix will materialize? If so, do you believe that it will be added to the 2020 Formula 1 schedule, or do you believe that it will not be added to the schedule until at least one year after that?

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