Should Suzuka fear for its Formula 1 race and give way to the next street circuit? This scenario has already happened this week in Spain, where Madrid will have a Formula 1 race for at least ten years from 2026, while the future of the traditional track in Barcelona is unclear.
With Jeddah, Miami and Las Vegas, Formula 1 has shown which direction the races will take in the future, and the next candidate is already knocking in Japan: Osaka is currently hoping to be part of the racing calendar in the future.
Rumors have been circulating for several months that Japan’s third-largest city is considering a Formula 1 application, but now the plans have been confirmed: city officials are examining what is possible.
Osaka Tourism Bureau Chairman Hiroshi Mizohata has officially announced his intention to apply for Formula 1. A representative from the organization spoke exclusively to Motorsport.com about the project, which also includes a delegation visiting last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
“Formula 1 will be the perfect catalyst for Osaka to become an international tourist city,” he says. “To achieve this, it is important to attract wealthy people from Europe, America and Australia.”
“We also believe that Formula 1 will be the perfect catalyst for the arrival of luxury hotels and the revival of the night-time economy.”
“I watched the Singapore Grand Prix and it was completely different to what I had imagined Formula 1 to be. There were live events and there were business meetings of luxury brands in the nearby hotels,” said Mizohata.
Although the project in Osaka is still in its infancy and no official negotiations over a racing contract have yet begun, there are said to have already been initial contacts with Formula 1 employees to explore the idea – which has encouraged the city to move forward with its project.
Location and time still open
A final venue for the race itself has not yet been determined, as those responsible in Osaka are still weighing up various options and nothing has been ruled out.
A street race through the city, a permanent race track in the nearby prefecture or a hybrid format around the Expo site on the island of Yumeshima, which is scheduled to be built by 2025, would be conceivable.
One factor to consider is financing, with Osaka having to consider how best to recoup the investment, which is likely to come from private funds rather than taxpayers’ money.
“The racetrack itself may be difficult to make profitable, but if you look at the economic impact on the entire city, I think it has potential,” Mizohata added, explaining that the project would take many years to materialize could become.
“At this point I can’t say in how many years we will realize it. I think it will be a long-term project.”
“I heard that it took a long time for the event to take place in Singapore for the first time, so I don’t think it will happen quickly. But if there is a chance, I will try,” he continued.
Would two Formula 1 races be possible in Japan?
Any progress on the Osaka idea would inevitably raise questions about the future of Suzuka’s current Japanese Grand Prix venue – just as Madrid has questioned the long-term viability of Barcelona.
But Osaka is aware that any event she gets will be a complement rather than a replacement for Suzuka.
“I strive for coexistence and mutual enrichment with Suzuka,” emphasizes Mizohata. “I think it would be great to have two races in Japan, which is an automotive superpower.”
The current contract with Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix expires at the end of this year.