Albon Supports Bangkok's F1 Race as He Meets Thai Prime Minister

The likelihood of hosting a Formula 1 race in Thailand keeps getting better as Williams driver Alex Albon became the most recent installment in the series to have an audience with the nation's prime minister.

The dream of hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix through the streets of Bangkok has been alive for quite a while, but progress accelerated recently as F1 Chief Executive Officer Stefano Domenicali had constructive discussions with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra last month.

Read Also: Domenicali discusses possible F1 Thailand Grand Prix in Bangkok

Thailand has long desired a spot on the Formula 1 race schedule, and former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin participated in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last year to engage in initial discussions with Domenicali.

Srettha Thavisin, the Prime Minister of Thailand, and Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group,

Photo credit: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Before this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, Albon—a Thai-British racer competing under Thailand's colors—has had a fruitful discussion with current leader Shinawatra about potentially hosting an additional grand prix and having the country represented in Formula 1.

Thailand is one of several nations vying for a spot on an already crowded 24-race schedule, as evidenced by plans for a potential comeback in Argentina and the introduction of a new event in Africa, suggestions made by Domenicali at various points throughout the previous season.

"I believe the positive aspect of what we've accomplished over the past few years is concentrating on areas that truly reflect the future direction of Formula 1," he stated to Sky Sports F1 during the Australian Grand Prix event.

We get considerable global attention. Just wrapping up this competition in Melbourne; my next stop is Bangkok where the government has shown potential interest in developing some projects.

We have various locations across Europe, and as you're aware, we also have interests in Africa, and recently in South America too.

Last year, the former Ferrari The boss informed ESPN that over 35 locations had shown interest in hosting Formula 1 events, but he emphasized that the limit of 24 races per season would stay unchanged.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown recently endorsed the concept of incorporating rotating race events but feels that the current schedule has reached its maximum capacity.

Read Also: Is the F1 schedule change motivated by money or smart strategy? Here’s what our writers think.

When asked whether Formula 1 had reached its pinnacle, Brown responded, "I believe we haven't yet attained our zenith, which is rather thrilling."

Definitely certain aspects have reached their peak with 24 races. We cannot expand further. My vision involves discussing an approach previously mentioned to develop the schedule—possibly establishing a consistent set of 20 races along with another group of eight that alternate biennially.

That’s one approach to entering 28 markets while keeping a 24-race schedule since everyone finds the current calendar quite challenging. This method could help expand the sport further.

The Belgian Grand Prix was the first to enter into a rotating agreement with Formula 1, securing its position as part of the championship series up until 2031; however, races will not be held in either 2029 or 2030.