Liberty Media determined to add second F1 race in China

F1 commercial rights holder Liberty Media has confirmed its plans to add a second race in China sometime in the future.

Formula 1 will expand its presence in Asia next year when Vietnam and Hanoi make their entry on the F1 calendar.

China however remains a territory where Liberty would like to increase the popularity of Grand Prix racing.

Shanghai has been on the F1 map without interruption since 2004, but as a vast territory and commercial market the nation could easily host a second race, although F1 has given no indication of where a second venue could be set up.

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"We would love to have a second race here," Formula 1's Head of Global Sponsorship Murray Barnett told Xinhua.

"Probably not in the short-term, given how congested the schedule is already, but we'd certainly love to figure out a way to have another Grand Prix here.

"We're looking at a number of different things to try to generate more interest on a local basis.

"We can't just be here for the three days of the Shanghai Grand Prix.

"We need to have a year-round presence here and be much more locally relevant in order to really establish a big fanbase here."

Formula 1's management of its long-term interests in China is similar to its ambition of staging a second race in the US, another potentially huge market for the sport.

Plans for a street race in Miami were put on the back-burner after local opposition to the event's cost and disruption forced Miami's city commission to adopt an "indefinite deferral" resolution.

Late last year, F1 CEO Chase Carey insisted that racing on the steets of Florida's 'Magic City' streets was still very much on F1's agenda.

"We are not just dealing with Miami, even if we are convinced that it would be a great project," said Carey.

"The negotiations are going on. When it comes to street circuits there are many interests that need to come together and it takes time."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.