Australian prime minister visits F1 Hanoi racetrack as part of state visit to Vietnam

Australian PM making a high-profile visit to the F1 Hanoi Racetrack

Hanoi: The Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation – promoter of the Formula 1 Vietnam Grand Prix 2020 – has welcomed the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, to the F1 Hanoi Racetrack – the site of the inaugural Formula 1 race in Vietnam to be hosted in Hanoi in April 2020.

Prime Minister Morrison’s outing to the newest circuit in F1 took place as part of his official state visit to Vietnam’s capital.

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister, Vu Duc Dam, also attended the reception alongside a delegation of high-level Vietnam Government officials, Hanoi City leaders, representatives of the Vingroup and the senior management team of the Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation.

“The new F1 circuit in Vietnam will help put Hanoi and Vietnam on the world’s sporting map,” Morrison said following his site visit.

“The successful organisation of this great event will showcase to the world Vietnam’s strong economic growth, diversified economy with a growing tourist industry, its warm hospitality as well as the country’s capacity to organise major world-class events.”

Earlier, the CEO of the Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation (VGPC), Ms. Chi Le Ngoc said: “We are extremely honoured to welcome Prime Minster Scott Morrison to Hanoi today.”

“We feel very privileged to show him the substantial progress that is being made on the construction of the F1 Hanoi Racetrack, including our spectacular Pit Building. The support we have received in delivering Vietnam’s inaugural Formula 1 race weekend from our Australian partners, in particular the team at AGPC, is testament to the close bond and friendship that exists between Vietnam and Australia and makes today’s visit by Prime Minister Morrison even more satisfying. We now look forward to further successful collaboration with our Australian partners as we drive onwards to the Formula 1 Vietnam Grand Prix next April.”

The Australian PM being briefed on the outstanding prgress on the F1 Hanoi Racetrack

The visit by the Australian Prime Minister to the F1 Hanoi Racetrack was a hugely significant and symbolic one as the journey of bringing the world’s most prestigious racing competition to Vietnam is being strongly supported by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) – Promoter of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

Indeed, on the basis of this strong partnership, VGPC brought a team from AGPC on board at the start of the year on a consultancy basis to help deliver the first ever F1 race in Vietnam.

Working in close cooperation, the AGPC team assists the Hanoi race promoter on a variety of vital tasks including building the F1 Hanoi racing infrastructure, managing and operating the race as well as organizing ticketing event activities on the sidelines.

AGPC’s extensive experience in delivering world class F1 race weekends has ensured that its high-level consultants have worked effectively with VGPC from Day 1 in driving this major project quickly and effectively to a successful conclusion.

Moreover, the strong bond between Vietnam and Australia is further enhanced by the role of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) as an official consultant to the Vietnamese Motorsports Association (VMA) and VGPC.

In affiliation with the VMA and the international governing body of Motorsport – the FIA – CAMS provides support with Race Organising and recruitment as well as training of the Volunteer Officials’ workforce ahead of the upcoming F1 race weekend in Hanoi.

CAMS, one of the most prestigious members of the FIA, has successfully supported many other new host races in their first years, including Singapore and Malaysia.

Australian PM is informed about the latest on the F1 Hanoi Racetrack

Set to become the newest street race on the F1 calendar next year, the F1 Hanoi Racetrack will run to 5,607m in length and feature 23 corners, some of them borrowing heavily from iconic tracks like Suzuka and the Nürburgring.

Designed by Tilke Engineers & Architects in partnership with F1’s own Motorsports team, the circuit is set to be one of the most challenging and exciting tracks on the calendar while also featuring one of the longest straights in the sport at 1.6km where drivers are expected to reach speeds of up to 335km/h.

Work officially began on the new circuit at a Ground-breaking Ceremony on March 20, 2019 and will see the semi-permanent track and its accompanying structures built across an area 88 hectares in size, located on the campus of the My Dinh Sports Complex as well as on neighbouring public roads.

In the four months since, substantial progress has been made. The circuit’s Pit Building – the hugely impressive three-level fixed structure spanning 300 meters in length whose design is inspired by the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long here in Hanoi – has already been topped out and is now entering the final stages of its construction.

Similarly, the foundations for the newly built parts of the circuit (encompassing the first and final sectors of the track) have been laid so that the asphalt layers can be applied to the track by mid-September.

Furthermore, the implementation and build of temporary structures such as the grandstands & safety fences are all on schedule.

In all instances, every aspect of the new circuit is being built and assembled according to F1’s highest Grade 1 standard, guaranteeing not only that the venue will be delivered on time but in peak condition.

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and the world’s most prestigious racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual racing series.

April 2020 will be the first time this race is held in Vietnam as the Formula 1 Vietnam Grand Prix.

VGPC is a subsidiary of Vingroup, entrusted with the rights to organize the Formula 1 Vietnam Grand Prix by the Hanoi People’s Committee – the entity which holds the rights to host Formula 1 in Vietnam.

Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation is responsible for building the infrastructure of the Hanoi F1 Racetrack, and also to manage and operate the Formula 1 Vietnam Grand Prix from 2020. Furthermore, the Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation will also organize ticket sales and events to promote Formula 1 Vietnam Grand Prix 2020 in Vietnam and position the occasion as a world-class and unique event.