Fresh plans for a potential London Grand Prix have been revealed, though sources close to F1 say that no talks have been held with the group to have unveiled them.
The LDN Collective and Dar have revealed their vision for the Royal Docks in east London, aiming to turn the area into “a globally recognised waterfront destination for sports, leisure and entertainment and to host a potential London Grand Prix.”
As per The Times, the circuit would run at a length of 3.6 miles and have similar characteristics to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which hosts the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal and is also surrounded by water.
Max Farrell, CEO of the LDN Collective said via their official website: “This vision could do for the Royal Docks what the Olympics did for Stratford and the Lea Valley. By extending the promenade we are creating a flexible eventscape and by creating floating commercial uses we are making the proposal financially viable and deliverable, without the taxpayer footing the bill.
[IMAGE CREDIT: LDN Collective]
“We know that Formula 1 are interested in hosting a Grand Prix here and we have designed a track that meets all of their requirements and regulations. We have discussed the proposals with the GLA (Greater London Authority,) who are developing a water strategy and planning framework with Newham Council, which we hope to align with. With or without F1, these proposals are transformational and would be a huge boost to London and the UK globally.”
However, GIVEMESPORT understands that F1 has not received any proposal and no discussions are currently taking place between F1 and the LDN Collective and DAR.
Previous plans for a London Grand Prix
An F1 race being held in London is not a particularly new idea, with talk of a race being held centrally in the city going back to when Bernie Ecclestone was still in charge.
Visions of Grand Prix cars going past iconic landmarks such as Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace were evoked but the plans never really got off of the ground, thanks mainly to the logistical nightmare that would be caused by bringing one of the world’s busiest cities to a halt for an F1 weekend.
Indeed, the feeling has always been if London were to hold a race it would be located a little more on the outskirts, and the Docklands area in the east of the city naturally represents that – though currently it seems a Grand Prix in London is far from imminent.
It would not be the first motorsport event to take place in this particular part of the capital, meanwhile, with Formula E’s London E-Prix taking place in recent seasons at the unique indoor/outdoor race track that comprises, in part, the ExCel London exhibition centre.
[FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: LDN Collective]
