Formula 1 Reveals 2020 Vietnam Grand Prix Track Final Shape

With two new circuits for the 2020 season, Zandvoort in the Netherlands and Hanoi in Vietnam, the racing calendar will host 22 Grands Prix, a new record in terms of number of races and diversity in nearly 70 years of existence.

As preparations accelerate for the inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix that will take the start on the 5th of April 2020, organizers have revealed an updated layout for their dazzling street circuit, with an additional corner in the final sector.

Being a street circuit, they have to match the layout as much as possible to the actual geographical conditions present in the area, while also making sure the strict regulations of Formula 1 and FIA are met. Not the easiest job in the world...

The design process for the circuit is in full swing, and we now have for the first time an official layout of this new street track. Hanoi will feature 23 corners instead of the 22 presented earlier in 2018, with numerous parts of the track “borrowed” from more acclaimed circuits.

For example, the first and second turns are similar to those at the beginning of Nurburgring, the second sector with turn 12 and 13 is similar to Sainte Devote from Monaco, and sector three from 16 to 19 resembles a lot Suzuka’s S-Curves.

Le Ngoc Chi, CEO of the Vietnam Grand Prix Corporation stated that: “In the course of building our new track and carrying out geographical assessments, we have adjusted Turn 22 and added Turn 23 in consultation with Formula 1 and the FIA. (…) We have a long stretch, which at 1.6 km is one of the longest stretches on the calendar, and will see cars reach up to 335 km/h”.

The Hanoi Circuit surely looks like it’s going to be an action-packed track, at least on paper. It seems like organizers listened to the fans regarding what they want from a Grand Prix, and didn’t repeat the mistake from Abu Dhabi.

Until we can see the F1 cars battling on this new track, we can enjoy this virtual lap around the Hanoi Circuit.