Denmark bids for F1 Grand Prix race in 2018
Formula One cars could be racing in Denmark as part of the world championship if an ambitious plan to bring Grand Prix racing back to Scandinavia gets off the ground.
Danish newspaper Herning Folkeblad has reported that a working group is due to meet with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to discuss a potential Danish Grand Prix for 2018.
The group are being represented by politician Helge Sander, who served as the minister for science until February 2010. It's believed that the lobby group were due to meet Ecclestone this week but the talks have been moved until January.
"It doesn't matter if a little more time passes before this meeting takes place as we are working to get Formula One to Denmark in 2018," Sander told Herning Folkeblad.
Any such deal would require substantial investment to construct a circuit suitable for F1 cars. Sander is understood to be trying to secure backing for the project by approaching leading Danish multinational companies to get the proposal off the ground.
Kevin Magnussen before the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Photo: Grand Prix Photo
Denmark is already represented on the F1 grid with Roskilde native Kevin Magnussen racing for the McLaren team in the 2014 season. The 22-year-old finished on the podium in his debut Grand Prix in Australia but struggled for much of the rest of his rookie campaign.
He eventually finished 11th in the world championship, scoring 55 points in the process. Magnussen currently faces an anxious wait to see if he will return to Formula One next year with McLaren yet to decide if they will renew his contract.
The racer has long been backed by Danish clothing company Bestseller, who have been tipped to become a sponsor of McLaren if Magnussen remains onboard.
Only a handful of Danes have raced in Formula One, including Magnussen's father Jan during the 90s.
Tom Belsø raced in the Swedish Grand Prix twice in the 70s, along with Jac Nelleman who made the F1 grid once. Prior to Magnussen's arrival this year the last Dane to race in the highest series of motorsport was Nicolas Kiesa back in 2003.
One of Formula One's leading photojournalists is Dane Peter Nygaard, who clocked up his 500th Grand Prix at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The closest Danish fans have come to getting an F1 fix was during the 70s when thousands took the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry to watch the Swedish Grand Prix in Anderstorp.
Sweden hosted its last Grand Prix in 1978 so if the Danish bid is successful it will mark 40 years since Grand Prix cars raced in anger in Scandinavia.
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Danish newspaper Herning Folkeblad has reported that a working group is due to meet with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to discuss a potential Danish Grand Prix for 2018.
The group are being represented by politician Helge Sander, who served as the minister for science until February 2010. It's believed that the lobby group were due to meet Ecclestone this week but the talks have been moved until January.
"It doesn't matter if a little more time passes before this meeting takes place as we are working to get Formula One to Denmark in 2018," Sander told Herning Folkeblad.
Any such deal would require substantial investment to construct a circuit suitable for F1 cars. Sander is understood to be trying to secure backing for the project by approaching leading Danish multinational companies to get the proposal off the ground.
Kevin Magnussen before the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Photo: Grand Prix Photo
Denmark is already represented on the F1 grid with Roskilde native Kevin Magnussen racing for the McLaren team in the 2014 season. The 22-year-old finished on the podium in his debut Grand Prix in Australia but struggled for much of the rest of his rookie campaign.
He eventually finished 11th in the world championship, scoring 55 points in the process. Magnussen currently faces an anxious wait to see if he will return to Formula One next year with McLaren yet to decide if they will renew his contract.
The racer has long been backed by Danish clothing company Bestseller, who have been tipped to become a sponsor of McLaren if Magnussen remains onboard.
Only a handful of Danes have raced in Formula One, including Magnussen's father Jan during the 90s.
Tom Belsø raced in the Swedish Grand Prix twice in the 70s, along with Jac Nelleman who made the F1 grid once. Prior to Magnussen's arrival this year the last Dane to race in the highest series of motorsport was Nicolas Kiesa back in 2003.
One of Formula One's leading photojournalists is Dane Peter Nygaard, who clocked up his 500th Grand Prix at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The closest Danish fans have come to getting an F1 fix was during the 70s when thousands took the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry to watch the Swedish Grand Prix in Anderstorp.
Sweden hosted its last Grand Prix in 1978 so if the Danish bid is successful it will mark 40 years since Grand Prix cars raced in anger in Scandinavia.
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