Two brand new street circuits could be on the F1 calendar as early as next season, according to reports from Auto Motor und Sport. The first is a Hanoi street circuit in Vietnam which has already had a six-kilometre layout approved by the FIA. Situated in the centre of the capital city of Hanoi, this addition to the calendar would see F1‘s reach extend in the far east.
The second incoming street circuit is a 17-corner, 5.2km track situated on the streets of Miami, Florida. This addition has also apparently been approved by FOM and supports Liberty Media’s well-known intention to increase the number of races in the United States.
The addition of these entries on the calendar seems to just be a matter of construction and infrastructure, which will be sorted out by architect Hermann Tilke. With the return of the Argentine Grand Prix also looking quite possible, this would create a 24-race calendar if every single venue in the 2018 remained.
It’s difficult to imagine a calendar of this size not being contested by F1 teams who are already going to be stretched to the limit. If these developing venues all come to fruition, then it is possible that some current venues will be dropped.
You’d imagine that the German GP will take a year off as usual, but another venue that could be dropped is Interlagos. The circuit is being sold later this year, there’s no longer a Brazilian driver on the grid, and the 2017 race was beset by security issues. It’s hard to imagine F1 without the Brazilian GP as the nature and altitude of the circuit is unique to the point of iconic. Most importantly, it always delivers exciting racing and the Brazilian fans have a special passion for the sport.
The positive news of upcoming, exciting circuits joining the calendar is in balance with the negative implications for the fate of some of the current venues.
