3m person city ‘serious’ about hosting 2026 F1 street race and it’s ‘exactly’ what Liberty Media want

Follow us on Google Discover

The congested nature of the Formula 1 calendar has been a divisive point of conversation for several seasons.

This year sees teams and drivers head to 24 different tracks with the United States Grand Prix the first race in back-to-back triple-headers to end the campaign.

It puts a huge strain on everyone involved and Max Verstappen has previously suggested it will make people ill such is the extent of the travelling involved.

However, Liberty Media who owns the Formula One Group that is responsible for the promotion of the sport is always looking for new opportunities around the world.

Madrid will host a street race in 2026, potentially replacing Spain’s current Grand Prix in Barcelona going forward.

Rwanda are set to build an F1 circuit and the FIA’s prize-giving is taking place in the country’s capital Kigali in December, while neighbouring Tanzania is designing a track in Zanzibar with the help of Giancarlo Fisichella.

A report from Soy Motor suggests one country is now hoping to return to the F1 calendar after more than a decade away.

F1 is becoming bigger and bigger business every year and it’s not a surprise that other nations want a piece of the action.

South Korea previously hosted four Grand Prix at the beginning of the 2010s, with Sebastian Vettel winning the final running of the race in 2013.

Now, the country wants to make a comeback but at a new street circuit in Incheon – which has a population of 3m people – as opposed to the custom-built track in Yeongam.

South Korea ‘serious’ about F1 return with street circuit in Incheon

It’s previously been reported that F1 signed a letter of intent to add an extra race to the calendar, which would have given South Korea a good chance of hosting a Grand Prix.

The report from Soy Motor suggests that South Korea have made its intentions clear to host a race as early as 2026.

It’s said that their proposal is ‘exactly’ what Liberty Media wants given its current concept.

The Grand Prix would be a street race around the city of Incheon, which is 45 minutes from South Korea’s capital Seoul.

It’s said that the proposal is now ‘serious’ and there won’t be a return to the old Yeongam circuit.

An opportunity could arise for a new circuit to be added to the calendar given the current contract status of several other tracks.

China, Mexico, Monaco, both Italian races, Zandvoort and Spa all expire at the end of 2025.

South Korea is not the only country hoping to make a return to Formula 1.

Germany and Turkey are also keen on making a return. However, Incheon’s mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said back in April, Incheon’s mayor met Stefano Domenicali and in an interview with The Independent said: “Incheon is the best place to host F1, as it has a transportation network such as Incheon Airport and Incheon Port and many luxury accommodations.

“We will begin full-scale discussions to host F1 Incheon.”

Who was the most successful driver and team at the South Korean Grand Prix

Although F1 only raced in South Korea on four occasions, some teams and drivers particularly enjoyed their time in Yeongam.

Fernando Alonso won the inaugural race in 2020 for Ferrari, and he was joined by Lewis Hamilton and teammate Felipe Massa on the podium.

Vettel set the fastest lap that day before an engine failure ended his race but it was a sign of things to come.

The South Korean GP coincided with the German’s dominance of the sport with Red Bull and he went on to win each of the next three races in Yeongam.

Some of the races were run in treacherous rainy conditions and while that did add some excitement to the event, ultimately, the track was left off F1’s 2014 final calendar after provisionally being included alongside the Mexican Grand Prix and a Grand Prix of America.