F1 Holds Thailand Grand Prix Talks During Emilia Romagna GP Weekend

During an official visit to Italy, Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin met with Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola to discuss Thailand's potential entry into the F1 calendar.

According to a report from Autosport, the talks focused on organizing a street race in Bangkok, potentially as early as 2027. Taking to social media after the meeting, Thavisin revealed:

“In line with the Thai Government’s intention to bring F1 racing to Thailand in the near future, I visited the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari and had a discussion with executives of the Formula One Group.

“This resonates with our policy to place Thailand on the global radar for international events and activities.”

In line with the Thai Government’s intention to bring F1 racing to Thailand in the near future, I visited the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari and had a discussion with executives of the Formula One Group. This resonates with our policy to place Thailand on the global radar for… pic.twitter.com/yhIhgAhcoA
— Srettha Thavisin (@Thavisin) May 19, 2024

The interest from Thailand comes at a time when Formula 1 is strategically focusing on expanding its footprint in Asia, a region that presents a burgeoning fanbase and substantial market opportunities. Domenicali has highlighted the ongoing discussions with Thailand, which began during his visit to the country in April.

The 2024 Formula One season features a record-breaking 24 races which has faced some criticism and has led to concerns being raised about expanding the calendar further than this. During an interview with ESPN in April, Domenicali explained that 24 races is probably the optimum amount. He commented:

"More than 35 [venues have expressed an interest. Eleven [are serious contenders] -- so, they are all realistic.

"No, seriously, the request is very, very big. It is up to us to make the right choices. But the number is set at 24. It will stay 24. Don't forget that five years ago we were at 17 or 18.

"It was a big step to add more in such a short time, but it is just because the market requires it and we love doing great things together. But 24 is the limit."

With the impressive amount of interest from other locations to host a Formula One race, a system could be put in place which has spots on the calendar alternating between different locations every other year. However, this has not been confirmed by Formula One Management.