Hanoi circuit 80% ready for F1 debut

Vietnam GP organisers say they will be ready for the inaugural F1 race in Hanoi.

Although Hermann Tilke's organisation is currently still working on the circuit, Vietnam GP CEO Le Ngoc Chi tells France's Auto Hebdo: "We are 80 per cent ready."

She said work is currently taking place on the grandstands, the interior of the pit buildings, and the track surface.

The race is scheduled to be round 3 on the 2020 F1 calendar, in early April.

"We expect everything to be completed by the end of the year," she added. "I feel nervous when I realise there are only 120 days left, and I watch a countdown in my office like an advent calendar. But the FIA has confirmed the date on the calendar and our team is working tirelessly."

F1 circuit architect Tilke admits that time is tight before April, but he insists: "It is not the first time we've done this. In Bahrain, we only had 14 months for a full circuit."

However, he denies that the fact Hanoi is a street track makes it easier. "You would think so, but it's not true," Tilke told Auto Motor und Sport. "The public roads must all be completely re-asphalted because they were not designed for Formula 1."

Tilke also tips the F1 world to enjoy Vietnam, which is the first all-new race added to the calendar by Liberty Media.

"It's a cool city," said the German. "One part is very exotic, another is very modern. Hanoi is definitely worth a visit."

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