Iran’s Vice President and Head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Masoud Soltanifar has announced that his country plans to build a Formula One circuit in Qeshm Island, reports the local IRNA news agency.
“Iran has so many young people with an increasing tendency for driving, Formula One has a great future in Iran,” the official told IRNA during a visit to Qeshm Island, the largest island in the Persian Gulf.
“It has the potential to become one of the world's most beautiful F1 destination”.
Iran is the latest country to take an interest in the sport, as its calendar has been gradually expanding eastward over the past 15 years with races held in Malaysia, Bahrain, Turkey*, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Korea*, India* and Russia.
Azerbaijan’s capital city Baku is already set to host the European Grand Prix next year while Qatar has also been pushing for a slot in recent months. However, F1 commercial supremo hinted that Bahrain organisers hold a veto right to block a third event in the region.
Meanwhile, Formula One stopped traveling to France after 2008 and will not visit Germany this year – a first since 1960 – after the event was eventually dropped from the 2015 calendar. What’s more, Monza, the home of the Italian Grand Prix, also remains under threat amid reported financial difficulties.
*These events no longer feature on the F1 calendar.
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