COLOMBIA: Earlier this year, Colombia expressed its interest in bringing Formula 1 to the country. The city of Barranquilla is touted to host the “Grand Prix of the Caribbean.” Jaime Pumarejo, mayor of the city, has voiced his desire to see Colombia on the Formula 1 calendar starting from the 2024 season.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was reported visiting the Colombia
According to multiple media reports, F1 chief Stefano Domenicali flew to Colombia after the Mexican GP last weekend. The discussions regarding the proposed Grand Prix were likely to have been on the agenda of the visit. Pumarejo is hopeful of securing a ten-year deal for the racetrack in Barranquilla.
In September, the mayor told Blu Radio that the progress of bringing the marquee event was going well. He was vocal about the climate change effort of the city being one of the most important points of the proposed Caribbean GP.
He added that the event will be self-sustainable in the sense that the development of the venue will not cost Colombia. Instead, the Caribbean GP will bring a windfall in terms of tourism, recognition, and employment.
Jaime Pumarejo feels that the Caribbean GP will be an event that has the biggest turnover in Colombia. He compared the turnover of the Formula 1 Grand Prix with that of Corferias, a convention centre in Bogota.
If the discussions between Colombia and F1 are successful, the addition of Caribbean GP to the calendar will come at the expense of another circuit. Formula 1 recently released the calendar for the 2023 season, with record-breaking 24 races.
Stefano Domenicali claimed that Formula 1 had reached the maximum number of races. The F1 chief felt that 23 to 24 races were enough. He added that he wasn’t interested in adding more races.
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