The well-known British journalist and motorsport analyst Joe Soward, who has been covering the Formula 1 championship since the 1980s, has reported on Uzbekistan’s possible interest in hosting a Formula 1 race on its territory.
On the sidelines of the Singapore Grand Prix, held on the Marina Bay circuit, representatives of several Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, actively discussed the prospects of organising future Formula 1 rounds. This was reported by Joe Soward, a permanent accredited correspondent of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and author of the popular blog Joe’s Blog F1, dedicated to behind-the-scenes aspects of motorsport.
According to Soward, Uzbekistan is positioning itself as a promising centre for the development of international motorsport events in Central Asia. “Paddock in Marina Bay was lively as always, and rumour has it that representatives from Thailand, Korea and even Uzbekistan were in town discussing possible F1 races in the future,” the expert said in his recent review. He stressed that the initiative is in line with Tashkent’s strategic course of modernising its infrastructure and strengthening the country’s international image through sport. Recently, the national football team qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history, which became an important impetus for the development of mass and professional sports.
In the context of motor sport, the government is showing a notable interest: it is taking on the financing of the FIA General Assembly in Tashkent this December.
Soward, whose contributions are highly regarded in professional circles for their depth of analysis and access to insider information, sees in these moves the potential for Formula One’s geographical expansion. “It is obvious that there is interest in the cars in the country,” he comments, emphasising that such initiatives contribute not only to the sporting but also to the economic progress of the region.