Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has admitted that he is in talks with Formula 1 to be able to contest an urban Grand Prix. “We are talking to F1 and they are very receptive,” Khan told the Evening Standard in an interview while watching the England-Croatia Euro Cup game on a giant screen in Trafalgar Square.
For Khan, it is urgent to put London back as the sports capital of the world – hence he wants the Olympic Games, but also to attract major events – after the studies that are usually carried out by an independent audit have yielded the data that New York has surpassed London in the last two years.
A Grand Prix in London is not a completely new idea. Bernie Ecclestone tried this on several occasions, although in more than one case it was more a way of pressuring Silverstone to sign the proposed contract than a real alternative. Bernie wanted it first in the heart of London and later, he proposed the Docklands area.
Toto Wolff, not long ago, said that “a Grand Prix in London would surpass anything known now. I hope the Mayor of London and Prime Minister Johnson will read this statement and put it into action.”
“The reality is that the reigning world champion is a Briton. Lewis Hamilton is an honor for our nation and the sport and it would be great to have a Grand Prix in the capital, to have Silverstone and London on the calendar,” added Khan, with which I wanted to make clear that, unlike what Bernie wanted, it would not be an alternative to the mythical British route, but the occasion of a double test in Great Britain.
The big difference between the past and this new opportunity is that now it is the capital that takes the initiative, which should facilitate negotiations.
Although London already has the recent present of hosting Formula E, the F1 project is of much greater impact. A much longer circuit, with many more security measures and control of the influx of public, sure that would be spectacular, but there is also the fixed that will have to be paid and the costs of making the route.
Khan was hopeful for the near future. “I think thinking about next year is a rash thing, but I’m really impressed with F1 and can’t wait to bring it back as soon as possible.”
In the past London – Greater London – already had a circuit of certain renown and popularity. It is not about Brands Hatch, despite its proximity, but about Crystal Palace, in the park in which this building originally dedicated to exhibitions rises.
The first race was held there in 1927 and was in force until 1972. Although it hosted some non-scoring Formula 1 races, it was one of the typical circuits of the F2 calendar of the 60s, in addition to Touring Cars, Sports and F3.
The initial route was one mile –1.6 kilometers–, it was widened to 4.8 kilometers and in the end it was shortened again to 2.2 kilometers, avoiding going around the lake. Clark, Hill, Stewart, Rindt, Hailwood and many other glorious names raced there in F2.
On July 13, 1937, the first London Grand Prix was held at Crystal Palace, which was won by Prince Bira and that same year, in autumn, the Imperial Grand Prix, also won by Bira, which was the first race offered on television by the BBC.
Scenes from the movie ‘Rush’ were recently filmed there, recreating the accident between James Hunt and Dave Morgan at Silverstone. Currently, in recent years a tribute event has been held, but in 2020 it was suspended due to covid-19.
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