In Formula 1, International News, Motorsports / By Anthony Lim / 7 November 2018 6:13 pm / 18 comments

Vietnam will join the Formula 1 calendar in 2020, with the inaugural Vietnamese Grand Prix set to take place in April that year. The Vietnamese government and the organisers of Formula One have announced that a deal to hold the race – the first to be announced under Liberty Media’s ownership – has been struck.

The country’s largest conglomerate, Vingroup, will be the race promoter, having signed a multi-year deal to host the GP, which will feature a street circuit located in the heart of Hanoi. The 22-turn, 5.565 km-long circuit will a semi-permanent street track, using both existing and purpose-built roads on the western side of the city in the vicinity of the My Dinh National Stadium.

The circuit has been designed by a collaboration between F1’s motorsports team, circuit design company Tilke as well as input from city of Hanoi authorities and Vingroup, with governing body the FIA also part of the process.

It will feature a range of corners from a slow-speed hairpin and technical slow- to medium-speed corner combinations to high-speed esses and flat-out corners and long straights, the longest being a 1.5 km-long section, with speeds of around 335 km/h expected through the speed trap.

Many of the turns derive their inspiration from that seen elsewhere – supposedly, turns one and two are based on the opening corners of Nurbugring, while 12 to 15 are reminiscent of turn one and the climb to Massenet in Monaco, while Suzuka’s esses give turns 16 to 19 their flow. Sepang also provides input for the final three corners of the Hanoi track.

Vietnam will be the fourth venue to hold a race in Asia, joining China, Japan and Singapore on the calendar. Alongside Monaco, Singapore and Azerbaijan, it will also be F1’s fourth street race.