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(Motorsport-Total.com) – Apparently a corruption scandal is why the Vietnam Grand Prix in Hanoi does not appear in the draft Formula 1 provisional racing calendar for 2021, which rights holder Liberty Media will publish on Tuesday .
© Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation
Hanoi may not have a grand prix in 2021 either Enlarge
Originally April 25 was scheduled for the premiere of Formula 1 in Vietnam, but where it would normally be written “Hanoi”, there is currently only “TBC” (“to be confirmed”) – without a location. Because as of today there will be no race in Vietnam in 2021 after the crown-related cancellation of the premiere scheduled for 2020.
The AFP news agency, citing an anonymous source, reported that the Grand Prix “could not take place” because the then mayor of Hanoi, Nguyen Duc Chung, was arrested in August on charges of corruption.
“Without Chung, the future of the Hanoi breed is bleak,” the source said. The former mayor is said to have misconduct in handling secret state documents.
The scandal is not directly related to the Formula 1 event; but Chung is seen as the driving force behind the project, which now hangs in the balance.
Photo gallery: Completion of the Formula 1 track in Vietnam
The track is completed about a month before the planned Formula 1 race in Vietnam. Click on the pictures!
Photo gallery
The communist country in Southeast Asia originally signed a ten-year contract with Formula 1 in 2018. According to Vietnamese media, the cost equates to around 50 million euros per year for the Grand Prix share. The organizer is privately funded VinGroup hoping to organize a night race in Hanoi.
Vietnam recently officially canceled the 2020 Grand Prix. The reason given at the time was the strict blockade measures in the fight against the corona virus.
Formula 1 is still keeping the April 25 date free for the time being. If the political problems can be resolved in the coming weeks and months, the 2021 Vietnam Grand Prix could still be added to the racing calendar with a delay.
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