South Korea wants to return to F1 calendar in 2026 with a race on the streets of Incheon
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South Korea has publicly expressed its intention to bring back its Formula 1 Grand Prix as early as 2026. The Southeast Asian country has presented a proposal that aligns closely with Liberty Media’s current concept, offering a street race in the Incheon district, a location very close to Seoul, the capital.
South Korea was one of those Asian countries that Bernie Ecclestone set his sights on during the latter part of his time as the top official in Formula 1. The Briton signed a four-year deal to race at the Yeongam circuit, a permanent track where an epic victory under the rain by Fernando Alonso was seen in its first edition, before Sebastian Vettel’s dominance took over.
In 2013, just before the hybrid era began, Korea was dropped from the calendar, and since then, there have been occasional talks about a possible return. The current proposal is serious, and the idea is not to return to Yeongam but to offer exactly what Liberty Media wants: a street race in Incheon.
The mayor of Incheon, Yoo Jeong-bok, has made it clear that he is willing to start large-scale negotiations with Liberty Media. He and Stefano Domenicali already met during the Japanese GP this year, and now, South Korean authorities are working to catch the attention of Formula 1 to return to the calendar as early as 2026, without ruling out the possibility of returning in 2027 or later.
“Incheon is the best place to host Formula 1, as it has major transportation hubs like the airport, the port, and plenty of luxury accommodations. We will begin large-scale talks to organize F1 in Incheon,” Jeong-bok said in comments published by *The Independent*.
China, Belgium, the Netherlands, Mexico, Monaco, and the two Italian races have contracts ending in 2025, and with the arrival of Madrid already confirmed for the 2026 Formula 1 championship, one of them will lose its spot on the calendar, assuming the total number of 24 GPs remains unchanged. There could be even more, as in addition to South Korea, Germany and Turkey have also expressed interest in returning, with bids supported by significant economic investments that are quite appealing.
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