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The President of Colombia, Iván Duque, announced a proposal for a circuit in Barranquilla to host an F1 race in the future. Colombian newspaper El Tiempo revealed the city's mayor, Jaime Pumarejo, was already in talks with the sport to develop a circuit capable of hosting the race eventually.
Revealing plans for a potential F1 race in the future, Duque said:
“Dreams, as a team, we are capable of making them come true. Mayor Pumarejo says that there is an option to present a project to have a circuit in Formula 1. That seems far away, but the mayor has already been in talks with the team of Formula 1. Adaptations have to be made, but it could be a semi-urban circuit on a track that the organizers will review.”
Barranquilla, a city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, is a tourist attraction and renowned for its carnival. Acknowledging the changes that will be needed for the street circuit, the President offered his support to the city's Mayor for the proposal.
Revealing the possibility of a Colombian GP, mayor Pumarejo said:
“Today they see it as a possibility that Colombia has a Grand Prix, and President, we dare to dream, but you give us the possibility, you excite us and tell us ‘Let’s go forward’; so, we, with allies like you, we are sure that we will give those dreams to Colombia.”
The last Colombian driver the sport had seen was Juan Pablo Montoya, one of Michael Schumacher’s biggest rivals. Montoya is one of three Colombian drivers to have raced in F1, with the other two being Ricardo Londoño and Roberto Guerrero.
F1 preseason tests key in determining 2022 pecking order
The pre-season tests, which are scheduled to take place in Barcelona from February 23 to 25, and in Bahrain from March 10 to 12, will play key in giving a glimpse of the pecking order for the 2022 season. Although the development of the new cars will evolve throughout the season, the preseason test will be a teller of the initial order.
The world of Formula 1 might still be recovering from the debacle of Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, its next season is due to commence in less than a month, with the new cars getting their initial mileage before the season opener in Bahrain.
