Vietnam to host Formula One race in April 2020 (Photo: AFP) Hanoi (VNA) – Foreign media has reported on Vietnam’s hosting of aFormula One race in April 2020, becoming the third Southeast Asian nation towelcome the top-flight racing.
The French news agency AFP reported that the race will behosted in the capital city of Hanoi, with the circuit set to be unveiled at agala next week, quoting an invite letter of the municipal People’s Committee onNovember 1.
"The city of Hanoi managed to conclude the cooperationto be entitled as the official host of a race of the FIA Formula 1 WorldChampionship from April 2020," AFP quoted the letter as saying.
Authorities said earlier this year they supported the ideaof hosting a race, but would not dip into government coffers to pay for theevent.
Mai Tien Dung, head of the Government Office, said at apress conference in August that he hoped costs could instead be covered bypotentially huge advertising revenues.
Hanoiinitially proposed the Government to organise the race around the iconic HoanKiem (Returned Sword) Lake and along the adjacent streets in the city centre,but the idea was rejected after thorough reviews by the city and the Ministryof Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The capital city then wanted to host the gamein the My Dinh sports complex in Nam Tu Liem district to take advantage of theexisting infrastructure there, Dung said.
F1 race director Charlie Whiting told reporters that he hadvisited the site in Hanoi and was confident the circuit would be ready in timefor the 2020 season.
He said much of the race would be on existing roads but somesections would need to be built, according to Fox Sports.
Vietnam will be the third Southeast Asian country to host aFormula One race, after Malaysia and Singapore.-VNA
VNA
