Why Thailand F1 officials were in Albert Park

The group maintained a low profile across the weekend on what was essentially a fact-finding mission.

F1 has been linked with a potential event in Bangkok with Formula 1 Management boss Stefano Domenicali visiting Thailand this week.

It is not the first time the sport’s commercial boss has visited the country, having met with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin last April.

“The good thing that we were able to do in the last couple of years has been to focus on the places that we believe represent the future for Formula 1,” Domenicali told Sky F1 over the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

“In terms of promoters and tracks that we are already at, we have a long-term standing agreement with a lot of them that enables them to invest, to improve the facility, to improve the quality of the entertainment that we need to give to our fans.

“We receive a lot of attention from other places in the world.”

Thailand is one of a number of potential projects under discussion with interest from other venues, including two from Africa.

Rwanda is strongly interested, and a new circuit is set to be built near the nation’s capital, Kigali.

That project is part of a broader attempt to grow the tourism sector off the back of new international airport hub, the construction being partly funded by F1 sponsor Qatar Airways.

South Africa has also launched a project with the intent of luring the world championship back after a more than three-decade absence.

There has long been interest in Thailand in hosting an event with a feasibility study first commissioned more than a decade ago.

Completed by Apex Circuit Design in 2013, that study also created a layout for a potential street race.

Commissioned by the Sports Authority of Thailand, the design circled The Grand Palace with the start-finish straight running along the Chao Phraya River on a piece of dedicated race track, much akin to Singapore’s Marina Bay.

The F1 calendar is currently at capacity with 24 events on the schedule, the maximum permitted without additional approvals from teams under the terms of the Concorde Agreement.

However, there are a handful of events without deals beyond this year.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix only has a contract for this year’s race, while Mexico City is also up for renewal.

Next year, the Dutch Grand Prix will host its last event, as will Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the Spanish Grand Prix moves to the Madring in Madrid.

Formula 1 currently boasts four races in the Asia-Pacific region; Australia, China, Japan, and Singapore.

Thailand already hosts a round of the MotoGP season at the Chang International Circuit, about 400km north-east of Bangkok, though F1 is understood to be eying a street circuit and not a permanent facility.

Red Bull conducted a show run at in Bangkok in 2014 (pictured), the energy drinks company part owned by Thai businessman Chalerm Yoovidhya.

Also in Melbourne was Singapore GP promoter, Colin Syn, who is a regular attendee of the event.