By Joe Murphy
Alex Albon has expressed confidence that Thailand is serious about hosting a Formula 1 race in the future, after he met with the country’s Prime Minister alongside F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
Albon, who races for Williams under the Thai flag, had a discussion with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend.
Domenicali, who had previously spoken with Shinawatra in March, praised Thailand’s ambitions for a race in Bangkok, calling the plans “impressive” and confirming that talks would continue in the coming months.
While the current F1 calendar is capped at 25 races, there remains the potential for a new event, though the possibility of increasing an already demanding schedule might face resistance from drivers.
Albon, reflecting on his meeting with the Thai Prime Minister, explained: “It was an extension of the conversations Stefano had, just exploring how I could contribute. For Thailand, there’s a real opportunity to elevate motorsport there.”
“Motorsport isn’t the country’s most popular sport—football holds that title—but we have the potential to make a real impact. We can inspire people, not only drivers but also engineers, mechanics, and those in marketing.”
He added: “There’s a massive young audience, and I was stunned by the number of people who turned out for the meeting. The sport is growing rapidly, but the challenge is how to take it to the next level when the race finally arrives.”
Asked whether he might have a hand in the design of the proposed Bangkok track, Albon replied: “It’s still in progress. I’m keeping an eye on it. If you look at the project, you can tell how serious they are. That’s all I can say.”
Since 2018, Thailand has hosted the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix, excluding the 2020 and 2021 events due to the pandemic, and Albon believes Formula 1’s presence is expanding in the country.
“From 2019 to now, the growth has been phenomenal—three to four times the size it was,” he said. “The question is, how do we build excitement and interest for Formula 1?”
“We’ve seen how the sport has captured a younger, more diverse audience globally. It’s still in its early stages here, but the majority of F1 fans are not just casual viewers, like you might find in other countries.”
While the F1 calendar is largely set for several years, the Dutch Grand Prix will drop off after 2026, and the Belgian Grand Prix will rotate starting in 2028—possibly opening the door for Thailand to join the calendar in the future.
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