Osaka wishes to bring Formula 1 to Japan’s third-largest city with a street circuit on the man-made Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay, according to reports.
Since 2009, the Japanese Grand Prix has been exclusively held at the iconic Suzuka circuit, a favourite among the majority of drivers and fans alike.
However, Yoshimura has declared an interest in competing for F1’s attention in Japan on Yumeshima Island, which is set to host the 2025 World Exposition.
Japan Today reports that in a press conference held on Thursday, Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said “We would very much like to realise the Osaka F1 Grand Prix.
“If we can attract investment from the world, we’ll be able to achieve things we currently can’t realize in Japan.
“Racing on a street circuit might be achievable at Yumeshima.”
“It would be difficult to use regular asphalt roads. We should develop better quality ones.”
Japanese publication Sankei Shimbun also reported comments made by Hiroshi Mizohata, Chairman of Osaka Tourism Bureau, who said: “The F1 automotive series has changed into a business model that can be operated on a private-sector basis.
“F1 is no longer a stand-alone motor race, but has turned into a comprehensive entertainment program.
“If we clear each step by step, it is possible to attract an entrant.”
It is unclear whether any proposed Osaka bid would threaten Suzuka’s spot on the calendar.
Suzuka’s present contract with F1 is set to expire after the running of this year’s Japanese GP on April 05 -07.
However, the circuit, which made its debut on the F1 calendar in 1987, has shared the F1 limelight in Japan before.
Fuji has held the Japanese GP on four occasions, holding the inaugural F1 race in the nation in 1976 – a memorable season-finale that saw James Hunt claim the title.
The speedway also hosted the Japanese GP in 1977, 2007 and 2008 and Formula 1 has also visited Japan for the Pacific Grand Prix at Okayama International Circuit (formerly known as Tanaka International Aida) in 1994 and ’95.
However, with the F1 calendar growing to 24 rounds in 2024, competition for new events is fierce.
If Osaka wound up with a successful F1 bid, it would be the latest in a growing trend of street circuits featured in the global single-seater series.
The addition of the Las Vegas GP in 2023 brought the number of street circuits on the calendar to eight and there have been rumours the Spanish GP in Catalunya could move to a street-layout in Madrid in the not-too-distant future.
