Hainan’s local government has signalled its intention to bring a Formula 1 race to the southern island, after it unveiled development plans aimed at securing motorsport’s premier event for the province.
Announcing a partnership with Dingji Automotive Culture Co, the Hainan Provincial International Cultural Exchange Centre said the cooperation would focus on “bringing Formula 1 racing events to Hainan, planning and building professional circuits, developing commercial race operations, creating an integrated automotive culture complex and promoting deep integration of sports, culture and tourism”.
According to the centre, a department of the province’s tourism, culture and sports bureau, the F1 project would “take Formula One’s top-tier international races as its core engine” and include facilities such as “a circuit, car modification plants, racing training schools, comprehensive medical services and five-star hotels”.
The island hosted the Sanya ePrix, part of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, during the 2018-19 season.
The highest-class single-seater race for electric cars will return this June at the Haitang Bay Circuit, a 2.236km temporary street circuit with 11 corners, located 24km from Sanya.
Shanghai holds the exclusive rights to the Chinese Grand Prix until at least 2030. Photo: AFP
However, Hainan faces significant hurdles to hosting the highest class of worldwide racing in the near term.