F1 could be set for another race in the Middle East should Iran's new plans to "lure the world championship by building a world-class circuit come to fruition," according to FOX SPORTS. The Iranian government has "announced plans" to construct an F1 circuit in Qeshm Island, a small island off the country's southern coast in the Strait of Hormuz. Dubai is only a few kilometers across the water to its south, while F1 race hosts Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, and MotoGP race host Qatar, are nearby. VP and head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts & Tourism Organization Masoud Soltanifar said, "Qeshm Island has the potential to become one of the world’s most beautiful Formula One destinations. Iran has so many young people with an increasing tendency for driving. Formula One has a great future in Iran." It is not the first time the Middle Eastern nation has "broached plans to build a world-class race circuit with the aim of hosting an F1 race." In '11, state officials "announced plans" to build an $85M development on the outskirts of Iranian capital Tehran called the iLand Race Resort, also "featuring a golf course, water parks, and homes for 50,000 people." At the time, F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said that there was "no space on the calendar for new races and that, in any case, 'I don’t think Iran is top of our list.'" But there are reports that F1 chiefs are "able to increase the calendar to a maximum of 25 races" without needing permission from world motorsport's governing body, the FIA (FOX SPORTS, 5/4).
