The Formula 1 calendar has seen its fair share of street races over the years. From the glitz and glamour of Monaco to the neon lights of Las Vegas, and from the thrill of Pescara to the bustling streets of Baku, F1 has always found a way to bring the sport closer to the public.
However, not all circuits have been equally successful. Some, like the lengthy 15.8-mile Pescara, were one-hit wonders before being axed from the calendar, while others, like Monaco, have remained firm favourites since the series’ inception in 1950.
Vietnam‘s Hanoi street circuit was hoped to follow in the footsteps of the latter, but it didn’t even manage to emulate the former. Constructed at a staggering cost of £450m ($600m), the race never saw the light of day.
Its downfall was due to two main factors. Firstly, there were allegations of unrelated corruption charges against one of the event’s key stakeholders Đức Chung, and secondly, the Covid-19 pandemic.
The race had been scheduled for April 5th, 2020, but lockdowns and global travel restrictions put an end to that.
Today, where once roaring Formula 1 cars were meant to be, nature is reclaiming its space. The circuit’s outline remains, along with the pit buildings and grid markings.
Pictures reveal local traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists navigating turn one, where it was once hoped Formula 1 cars would be racing.
The Formula 1 fans’ dream of a Grand Prix held on the Hanoi street circuit fizzled out despite hopes for a triumphant return after the unfortunate no-show in 2020. However, hopes for a return in 2021 were dashed because of Vietnam’s focus on their Covid and typhoon recovery efforts called, reports the BBC.
Former F1 chief Chase Carey stood firm at the time. He said: “We are planning for 2021 events with fans that provide an experience close to normal and expect our agreements to be honoured.
“We have proven that we can safely travel and operate our races and our promoters increasingly recognise the need to move forward and manage the virus.”
Now, five years after the Hanoi circuit was dropped from the F1 schedule, it takes its place among the ‘What ifs’ of the motor-racing world, alongside other meticulously laid-out yet unused tracks across the globe.
In addition, London too has seen its share of racing dreams dashed as Motor Sport reports that just this year, the city sketched up plans for a potential Docklands-based East London Grand Prix, complete with floating grandstands and a £250m facelift to the area, which, as of now, remains a vision not turned to reality.
In a bombshell statement, Max Farrell, CEO of the LDN Collective project design consultancy, dropped a major hint about Formula 1’s interests: “We know that Formula 1 are interested in hosting a grand prix here and we have designed a track that meets all of their requirements and regulations.”
He further sparked excitement by adding, “By extending the promenade we are creating a flexible eventscape and by creating floating commercial uses we are making the proposal financially viable and deliverable, without the taxpayer footing the bill.”
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