The Ghost Circuit of Hanoi: Vietnam’s Forgotten Formula 1 Dream

For decades, Formula 1 has sought to bring the spectacle of racing closer to its fans from the glittering streets of Monaco to the neon glow of Las Vegas. Street circuits are where the sport’s glamour meets its grit, where the sound of engines bounces off city walls and fans can almost taste the scent of burning rubber.

But on the outskirts of Vietnam’s bustling capital lies a very different kind of circuit one that was never allowed to roar to life. The Hanoi Circuit, once heralded as Southeast Asia’s next great motorsport destination, now sits silent and abandoned, its grandstands empty, its asphalt untouched by a single Formula 1 car.

A Grand Vision

The idea was bold, a 5.6-kilometre hybrid street and permanent circuit, designed by F1’s famed architect Hermann Tilke. The layout promised a thrilling mix of long straights and technical corners, weaving through Hanoi’s streets before diving into a purpose-built complex. It was a statement of ambition a £540 million investment meant to showcase Vietnam’s modern identity on the global stage.

By early 2020, construction was complete. The Vietnam Grand Prix was set for April, and anticipation was building. But just weeks before the lights were due to go out, the world changed. The Covid-19 pandemic forced Formula 1 to shut down, and the Hanoi race was postponed indefinitely.

A Dream Unravels

When the sport returned later that year, hopes remained that Vietnam would join the 2021 calendar. But behind the scenes, the project was collapsing. In November 2020, Nguyen Duc Chung, Hanoi’s city mayor and the driving force behind the race, was sentenced to five years in prison on corruption charges. Two more convictions followed in 2022, extending his sentence to ten years.

Without its political champion, the race lost momentum. Formula 1 quietly removed the Vietnam Grand Prix from its schedule, and the circuit brand new, state-of-the-art, and ready to host the world was left to gather dust.

A Digital Legacy

Ironically, the only place the Hanoi Circuit ever came to life was in the virtual world. Developers at Codemasters had already mapped Tilke’s design into their F1 2020 video game, allowing players to race through Hanoi’s sweeping 23-corner layout before any real driver ever did.

For fans, it became the only way to experience what might have been a fast, flowing track often compared to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit, which joined the calendar the following year.

The Silence That Followed

In the years that followed, Vietnam’s priorities shifted. According to BBC Sport, the government turned its attention to economic recovery and upcoming elections, leaving the circuit untouched. Aerial photographs show a haunting sight: pristine tarmac winding through empty stands and overgrown grass a modern coliseum without its gladiators.

At the time, then-F1 CEO Chase Carey remained optimistic.

“We are planning for 2021 events with fans that provide an experience close to normal,” he said. “We have proven that we can safely travel and operate our races, and our promoters increasingly recognise the need to move forward and manage the virus.”

But the Hanoi Grand Prix never returned to the conversation.

A Monument to Ambition

Half a decade later, the Hanoi Circuit stands as one of Formula 1’s great “what ifs.” Like the Valencia Street Circuit in Spain or South Korea’s Yeongam track, it represents a vision of global expansion that never quite materialised.

Today, the track remains frozen in time a monument to ambition, circumstance, and the fragile balance between politics and sport. Its silence speaks louder than any engine ever could, reminding fans that in Formula 1, not every dream makes it to the starting grid.

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