» Croatia race bid on the cards?

Croatia is the latest country to be considering a tilt at hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix on the sport’s rapidly-expanding calendar.

The local Vecernji List newspaper claims that the FIA and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone are keen to support the project, earmarked for a location just outside the capital city, Zagreb. It is also rumoured that the sport’s ubiquitous circuit designer, Hermann Tilke, is another supporter of the project.

The report claims a budget of €250 million – funded by private investors – has been set aside, and that the Croatian government will assist in fast-tracking the project through the usual legislative and planning stages. It is expected that the entire project will take some 18 months to complete.

However, the country might have some more immediate concerns to deal with, with thousands of anti-government protestors marching on the capital city to demand a change in the country’s leadership amid allegations of corruption during the country’s current financial crisis.