No Formula 1 Thai Grand Prix in Bangkok after all?
While Thailand's presence on the Formula 1 calendar seemed assured for the 2015 season, things are becoming complicated following the enactment of a law banning motor racing in the historic center of Bangkok, where part of the planned circuit for this Grand Prix had been designed.
Thailand seems to want to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the future, and after months of speculation, the Thai government has recently approved an urban circuit aimed at hosting a Formula 1 race in the historic center of Bangkok.
Following this official announcement, some believed that the first edition of the Thailand Formula 1 Grand Prix could be held in 2015 as a night event, similar to Singapore. But recently, things seem to have taken a turn for the worse as the government has passed a law banning car racing in the historic center of Bangkok, exactly where part of the track had been planned.
This is what Kriangphon Pattanarat, Director General of the Urban Planning Department, explained to AFP: The law took effect on May 16, banning car racing in Bangkok because this area is protected for culture and the arts.
This ban will force the race promoters to revise their plans for the circuit, but while other cities or even the island of Phuket could be replacement destinations, there’s no guarantee that this will actually happen. There is also the possibility that the promoters might simply abandon their desire to bring F1 to Thailand.
