A F1 race in Hanoi, Vietnam (2nd Update)

Hanoi

UPDATE We are upgrading this rumor to 'strong' today as AR1.com inside sources tell us the deal is almost done that will see an F1 race on the streets of the Vietnam capital of Hanoi.

As for who will design the track, we hear it will not be Tilke. With F1's new American owners, Tilke is history. No more tracks designed by him, his monopoly of F1 tracks has ended.

10/06/17 Formula 1 bosses are in talks with officials in Vietnam about holding a race in the future reports Autosport.

Earlier this year, former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone said he could have done a deal with Vietnam but turned the chance down as he felt there were enough races in Asia.

But F1 commercial chief Sean Bratches has since said he wants more Asian street races, with a particular focus on holding them in "iconic cities".

After Malaysia chose not to renew its F1 deal beyond this season, Autosport understands the push for another race in Asia in the short term is high on F1 bosses' agenda.

Vietnam is on its list of potential venues, with talks between F1 and officials in the country on-going.

There is also a push for a second race in China, which is considered an important market by F1's new bosses.

Bratches recently concluded a fresh three-year deal to retain the race in Shanghai, which will keep the venue on the calendar until at least 2020.

Heineken green behind the winner's podium in Monza

09/26/16 Formula 1 Global Partner Heineken says it would like to see the sport branch out further into the Asia Pacific territory, and reckons a race in Vietnam would be a positive addition.

Heineken became a Global Partner of Formula 1 earlier this year and launched its program with title sponsorship of the Italian Grand Prix, alongside advertising campaigns.

"Asia Pacific is a strategic area for us and having seven races around this area is fantastic, and the passion for Formula 1 in Asia is tangible," Gianluca Di Tondo, Heineken's Senior Global Brand Director, explained to the official Formula 1 website.

"If there is program to double up in the US that, of course, is very interesting for us as the US is our biggest market.

"If you take it as a single market, it is still our biggest one. In the US it is easier to activate things that become popular – and we are open for discussions to make Formula 1 even more popular together.

"We are very present in Vietnam through a local partner and they were our guests in Monza and they were over the moon. So why not have a race in Ho Chi Minh City?"

Di Tondo added that Heineken, which organized a football match on the Monza grid between Formula 1 drivers and football legends, is hoping to enhance the experience of events for fans.

"There is a big gap between the paddock, the Paddock Club and the rest," he commented.

"We think that our role as a beer – and as a sponsor of F1 – is to create bridges between these worlds.

"We will leverage a lot of social media and I think that our main platform to get to these 60 per cent of people is what we call 'always-on' platforms.

"We want continuous content on Formula 1 and also to be sneaking a bit behind the scenes and bringing more people into the world of Formula 1."