Are we ready for this?
Formula One has reportedly filed for the Philippine Grand Prix trademark at the Philippine Intellectual Property Office earlier this year.
According to the Independent, the trademark application includes F1 filed the trademark application with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines in seven categories including sports events, broadcasting, clothing and printed products. The trademark Manila Grand Prix was also included in the application.
While the trademark filing isn’t a guarantee that F1 races are coming to the country, it is a positive sign that Formula One is seriously considering the Philippines as the next destination for their races.
The Independent notes that Formula One filed the trademark ‘Formula 1 Grand Prix of Miami’ back in November 2017, six months before it announced that it was in talks about hosting a race on the streets of the city.
If plans for the event go through, the race would certainly be held in the street as there are no circuits in the country that could be used for Formula One races.
While the upcoming 5 kilometer Pradera Verde Racing Circuit that’s set to open on 2021 was designed by Herman Tilke, famed F1 track architect, it’s built on lower specifications and is likely not compliant to Formula One requirements.
If the Manila Grand Prix becomes a reality, it will become the third F1 event held in the region. The Singapore Grand Prix is the first followed by the yet to be held Vietnam Grand Prix scheduled to start in 2020.
