London Grand Prix: Plan for F1 race on streets of capital

Cars would run along London City Airport and the docks on a circuit full of long straights and chicanes similar to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal

A plan for Formula 1 to stage a London Grand Prix in the east of the capital has been pitched alongside a major redevelopment plan.

The prospect of rejuvenating an area around London Docklands – with a high-speed circuit compared to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal – has been proposed by environmental group LDN Collective and consultancy firm DAR.

They state that a race could be held there as early as August 2026, with a 3.64-mile route consisting of 22 corners and an average speed of 127mph put forward.

A proposed circuit map for the pitched London Grand Prix in the east of the capital (Twitter – @FastestPitStop)

Cars would run along London City Airport and the docks on a circuit full of long straights and chicanes.

The concept of a London Grand Prix, which has been floated previously by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, has lingered in recent years but it is understood would be in addition to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

As first revealed in The Times, the redevelopment plan includes floating units that can form grandstands with a total capacity of 95,000, as well as other year-round attractions to form a “globally recognised waterfront destination for sports, leisure and entertainment”.

A unique pitlane has also been put forward, run alongside the first-floor servicing and loading deck of the ExCeL Centre, which currently hosts Formula E’s London E-Prix.

“There’s a general level of support for the idea,” Max Farrell, chief executive of LDN Collective, said.

“Obviously, there’s a lot to work through in terms of the practicalities and the planning, but if the political will is there, we believe that this is a very credible and deliverable proposition.”

A rendering of the main straight for the proposed London Grand Prix (DAR)

Dan Horner, DAR’s director of planning and urban design, added: “We’ve spoken to investors and we’ve put something to them that we think will be appetising to them.

“We’ve done financial models which show a healthy rate of return [for investors].

“We identified a need in London for more leisure and entertainment destinations. The Royal Docks is just a perfect location.

“We’re looking at this as a year-round, family-focused leisure and entertainment destination. Yes, Formula 1 is part of the offering, but we want to create a destination for the other 50 weeks of the year.”

Despite the proposition, The Independent understands that Formula 1 has not received any proposal as of yet and no discussions are currently taking place between F1 and the LDN Collective and DAR.