Could Finland host a Grand Prix?

Although Finland is primarily a rallying nation, a few of its drivers have made their way into Formula 1, so there is no reason why the country cannot host a Grand Prix.

Finland may be best known for its snowy rally stages and legendary names such as Tomi Mäkinen, Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola, Juha Kankkunen, and Marcus Grönholm, but the country's impact on Formula 1 is just as striking. Since the sport's inception in 1950, only seven Finnish drivers have competed in a full F1 season, but four of them have stood on the top step of the podium and three have won world titles, a success rate that surpasses that of traditional powerhouses such as Italy and France.

Despite this pedigree, the Finnish calendar has never featured a Grand Prix. The country has hosted motorsport events—rallies, even a few single-seater races in the 1950s—but never an official F1 round. Today, however, the idea of a Finnish Grand Prix is far from fanciful. Summer temperatures in the southern regions are ideal for modern cars and tires, and cities such as Helsinki, Tampere, and Espoo have the population and infrastructure to host a permanent circuit or even a street race. There is a precedent nearby: Sweden hosted its own F1 race for six seasons in the 1970s, and Russia has been on the calendar since 2014 at the former Olympic site. With current stars such as Kimi Räikkönen and Valtteri Bottas, end-of-season champion Mika Häkkinen, former winner Mika Salo, and the Rosberg lineage (Keke Rosberg's champion son, Nico, who has Finnish roots on his father's side), Finland has a fan base ready to support a national Grand Prix and a group of ambassadors to promote it. Such a venture would fit perfectly with Bernie Ecclestone's quest for new markets, especially as the sport is considering new European venues in countries such as Austria and Azerbaijan. Perhaps all it would take is an exceptional Finnish talent competing in the championship to tip the scales. Rumors of Bottas's transfer to Ferrari in 2016-2017 are already fueling the imagination. The combination of successful drivers, a favorable climate, and urban venues makes the Finnish Grand Prix a realistic, even long-awaited addition to the global Formula 1 calendar.