Plans for F1 London GP is back in discussion at the Formula E venue in the Docklands area, albeit it is still in the initial stages.
For the last few years, there has been several talks of F1 staging a London GP on the streets away from the Silverstone circuit that is the home of British GP. With the sport going to major cities in the world, the addition of London will only add to the extravaganza.
Post Singapore, the last few years has seen F1 having more street courses like Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Miami and now Las Vegas. The current talk of London GP emerged amid the rejuvenation plan presented for the Docklands area in east of London.
The idea is similar to how Canada’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is developed. A 5.9km F1 circuit is proposed at the venue which hosts the Formula E race too. The track would have 22 corners, with an average speed of 204 kph and an anticipated lap time of 1m42.1s.
In an interesting twist, the design comes with a mix of floating and non-floating grandstands which is likely to have a capacity for over 95,000 people and an unique pit-lane which would use ExCel’s first floor servicing.
In fact, for about 50 weeks, the waterside boulevard will be used to host events like cycling and running but as the F1 weekend approaches, the ’embankment’s linear park’ will be disassembled to reveal the FIA-approved grade surface.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) has held talks with Mayor Sadiq Khan, with the rejuvenation cost estimated to be around £250 million – funded by private investors. As of now, the full proposal is likely to be submitted within the next 12 months.
If everyone agrees to it, the first London GP could happen in 2026. “This vision could do for the Royal Docks what the Olympics did for Stratford and the Lea Valley,” said Max Farrell of LDN Collective. “By extending the promenade we are creating a flexible eventscape and by creating floating commercial uses we are making the proposal financially viable and deliverable, without the taxpayer footing the bill.
“We know that Formula 1 are interested in hosting a Grand Prix here and we have designed a track that meets all of their requirements and regulations. We have discussed the proposals with the GLA, who are developing a water strategy and planning framework with Newham Council, which we hope to align with. With or without F1, these proposals are transformational and would be a huge boost to London and the UK globally.”
As per The Times, Liberty Media already knows about the proposal. “Once we have planning consent with a fair wind we can build this within 24 months,” Farrell said to The Times. “So really, I think there’s a best-case scenario of having a London Grand Prix here in August 2026. If everyone gets behind it, that would be feasible.”
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