Follow us“As Formula 1 continues to expand its global footprint, recent attention has turned to regions beyond the United States to tap into the growing worldwide interest in grand prix racing,” said Formula 1 CEO Greg Maffei during an F1 in Depth event in Monaco, co-hosted by Autosport Business.
Maffei highlighted the successful return of the Chinese Grand Prix as a significant milestone, noting, “We’re lucky that we were able to get a Chinese race this year after four years. It was very successful. The interest in China has exploded in part because we now have a Chinese driver.”
He emphasized the importance of cultural identity, stating, “Critically, you see cultural identity so much when you have drivers from a country, and when you have teams from a country. And so that’s been great to see the growth in China.”
While China has been a focal point, Maffei also mentioned other Asian countries with burgeoning interest in hosting Formula 1 races, saying, “There’s a lot of interest across Asia, as we have interest from many cities. But in Asia, as you rightly point out: Thailand, Seoul, and we’ve had interest from Indonesia. There are lots of places which want a Formula 1 race.”
Considering the intersection of fanbase, potential growth, and financial viability, Maffei suggested the possibility of adding a second race in Southeast Asia, alongside China. He said, “I think you could very easily see a second one in Southeast Asia [alongside China].”
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