Sadiq Kahn, the Mayor of London, has said that he is “happy to talk and listen to F1” regarding the possibility of a London Grand Prix being held on the calendar in the coming years.
London open to holding a grand prix
This follows the news that the BRDC have activated the break clause in their current contract with Formula 1, which means that Silverstone will no longer be the home of the British Grand Prix past 2019 due to the rising costs of putting the event on year by year. However, London is becoming a feasible replacement option following an F1 demonstration that was held earlier this week.
Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, Khan said: “Clearly, if it’s the case that talks have broken down with Silverstone, I’m happy to talk and listen to F1. There are some hurdles we’ll have to overcome. I’ve met the new leadership of F1, they’re a breath of fresh air, they’re very exciting, they’ve got cracking ideas, and if they want to have a conversation with me, I’m really happy to talk, listen, and work with them to make it happen.
“Let’s wait and see. F1 have only just got out of the deal with Silverstone. But the reality is, there are so many F1 fans in London. Some hurdles we’ll have to overcome, but there’s no reason at all why it can’t be beyond the wit of us to organise an F1 race in London in the future. We’re good at organising events safely. I’m reassured we can make everyone safe in London and we’re going to make sure events are successful. I’m sure F1, working with us, can in the future have an F1 race in London. Watch this space,” he said.
If a London Grand Prix did occur, it would most likely be held in the Docklands region which is located in east London. However, this is not the first time that a London Grand Prix has been suggested and imagined as you will see in this video created by Santander in collaboration with McLaren back in 2012:
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