Plans are being drawn up for the unlikely sounding Caribbean F1 Grand Prix that is to be held in Barranquilla, Colombia, South America. The mayor of the Colombian city of Barranquilla says that discussions with Formula One to host a Caribbean Grand Prix by 2024 are well underway and that a ten-year agreement appears imminent.

According to the mayor of Barranquilla, Formula 1 would be willing to make a ten-year commitment to come to his city to run a Caribbean Grand Prix from 2024 or 2025 on a semi-urban circuit: “What we can say is that the process is going very well.” claims the mayor.

“Progress has been made in all the previous stages, before a final decision is made. They have already come to the city and found it very good,” explained the mayor of Barranquilla in an interview with Blu Radio.

Jaime Pumarejo added that one of the elements that could play in his favour is the fact that the possible Formula 1 Grand Prix that would be organised in Barranquilla would not cost the communities any money:

“The Grand Prix would be self-sufficient, that is to say that the development of the race would not cost the country and the city, but on the contrary, it would bring employment, tourism and recognition.”

Two possible circuits yet to be decided

According to the mayor, two urban routes have already been identified and both have already been approved, while the possible contract with F1 would be long-term:

“On one of the routes, the river is present, on the other it is not. But both are in the metropolitan area of Barranquilla. We hope that if everything that is missing is finalised, we could be talking about 2024 or 2025 and it would be signed for 10 years,” added Pumarejo, who added that the official name of the event could be the Caribbean Grand Prix.

The city of Barranquilla is located in the north of Colombia on the western bank of the Rio Magdalena, the most important river in Colombia, 7.5 km from its mouth on the Caribbean Sea.

Whilst technically Colombia is in South America, so perhaps is a stretch to call the race the Caribbean Grand Prix. Whereas the actual Caribbean islands are not exactly known for a rich motorsport history apart from occasional rally events, so would this race would be ticking the FOM box of paving the sport into new territories. 

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