With his contract renewal finalized, keeping him as president and CEO of Formula 1 at least until 2029, Stefano Domenicali neither celebrated nor paused to enjoy the moment. Instead, he has pushed forward with his ambitious plans.
Between the Australian Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship held last weekend, and the Chinese Grand Prix, there are only four days in between. Yet, the Imola-born manager found time to fit a stopover in Thailand into his packed schedule before heading to Shanghai.
A few days ago, it was revealed that the former Lamborghini president planned to visit Bangkok with a specific goal: to discuss a potential Grand Prix in Thailand, which could be added to the calendar in the coming years.
Thailand has long been known to have a ready-made project for a street circuit through the streets of Bangkok.
“I believe one of the positive choices we have made in the last two years has been to focus on circuits and countries that we believe represent the future of Formula 1,” Stefano Domenicali commented last weekend.
“We are seeing great interest from many nations looking to join the world championship calendar, which is why, right after the Melbourne Grand Prix, I will head to Bangkok. The local authorities are open to evaluating the possibility of joining the world championship calendar, and we will see if the government is ready to accept our conditions, as we also have other interested locations in Europe, Africa, and South America.”
Said and done. Stefano Domenicali has indeed been in Bangkok in recent hours to meet with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, continuing discussions about a potential Grand Prix in the capital—talks that had already begun a few months ago with the previous Thai prime minister, Srettha Thavisin.
“I was really pleased to meet with Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of Thailand, and his team today to discuss their impressive plans to host a race in Bangkok,” Stefano Domenicali stated in a brief press release. “I look forward to continuing our discussions in the coming weeks and months.”
The mutual interest is evident. The Thai government wants Formula 1, and the F1 circus is drawn to the opportunity to explore a new market and further expand its reach.
However, there are obstacles to consider. The most significant is that the calendar has already reached its maximum limit of 24 races per season. As we know, teams are strongly against any further expansion to avoid putting additional strain on personnel and financial resources, especially with the current Budget Cap in place.
For some weeks now, discussions have emerged about maintaining a fixed group of races—reportedly 20 Grand Prix—while having eight rotating races (four per season). This would allow Formula 1 to race in 28 different countries without increasing the total number of races per season. For now, it is just a proposal, but it is being seriously considered as a potential near-term solution.
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