Thailand approves layout for Formula One circuit

Thailand is making progress with its plans to hold an inaugural Formula 1 race in 2015 after local authorities approved the layout for the proposed Bangkok track this week.

The Sports Authority of Thailand met on Thursday to discuss the concept, and confirmed that a 5.995 kilometre circuit would be created near the Royal Thai Naval Dockyard in Bangkok.

The circuit will run past several major tourist destinations, including the Grand Palace, the Temple of Dawn and Victory Monument.

Final approval for the track configuration is now set to go to government for sign-off within the next few months.

Thailand has been chasing the race for several years, with Red Bull a keen backer to hold a night race in the country's capital.

The event will almost certainly attract a bumper crowd, with Mark Webber having drawn 100,000 spectators to a street demo in the city back in 2010.

SOURCE: Autosport 

Don't get me wrong, new tracks can be interesting, but with so many new ones introduced since 2006, it's becoming a little bit ridiculous because we are eventually gonna lose important tracks like Spa, Monza and the German GP if these new tracks keep coming, some of these new tracks are actually terrible, singapore is precession, Hungary just needs to go, China is hit and miss, Korea is falling apart, there is 4 right there. 

Also, I'm sure you'd all agree Bernie should stop being so picky about these tracks because they may or may not have the right facilities for his rich cronies. 

2 circuits i'd love too see on the Calendar are Brno in the Czech Republic and the Losail track in Qatar, very good tracks with corners that will heavily promote overtaking. 

I wish they'd bring the old Hockenheimring back, it matched Monza for pure speed and was a pleasure to watch, not a massive fan of the current layout. At least the Nurburgring is still pretty decent. And yes, Singapore is one of the worst tracks currently in use in F1, I wouldn't mind it being so boring to watch if the race wasn't always 2 hours long. Bahrain is pretty bad too, this year's race was pretty good but previously it's been a real snore fest. Shame that the best new track in years (Istanbul) is no longer on the calendar, and worse still there's no return in sight to the A1 Ring, that was a great track. 

The old hockenheim ring will likely never return with the former parts of the circuit slowly becoming forest once again. It's very pretty from the pictures I've seen.

What F1 doesn't need is more street circuits. They're never very good - cost more to sort out year on year etc F1 is meant to be the pinnacle of motorsports - show it by going to world class circuits. 

I'd actually go as far back as 2004:

Bahrain [2004]
China [2004]
Turkey [2005]
Valencia [2008]
Singapore [2008]
Abu Dhabi [2009]
Korea [2010]
India [2011]
USA [2012]

All introduced in the past decade, two of which have already gone. And considering we already have the following lined up:

New Jersey [2014]
Russia [2014]

If these come in, we have a calendar where nearly 50% are tracks introduced within the past ten years. Now, given we're likely to have a 20 race season next year again and in 2015, should the Thai GP go ahead, that means losing two of the current circuits. Which of those do you pick though?

From what I've read, a lot of fans don't want to see another European race go - however there is a good shout for Hungary to be dropped from the calendar as it's not really brought many exciting F1 races in the past. So not touching the European circuits, what do we have to pick that wasn't introduced in the last ten years?

Australia, Malaysia, Canada, Japan, Brazil. These are the only non-European races on the calendar which weren't introduced in the past ten years. With the exception of perhaps Malaysia, all die-hard fans want the rest of those to stay forever.

Here's the problem - Hungary has a contract until 2016. None of the non-European races are going to be touched because they want to keep F1 truly Worldwide (let's not forget, last season was the first in history where the World Champion didn't win a race in Europe). Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps sooner or later won't be able to afford Bernie's prices. I have a fear that the latter two may be the ones saying goodbye for these new circuits.