Plans are underway to establish a pilot academy for the water-based Formula-1 H2O and a factory producing sports boats in the Almaty Region. Over the next five years, the Kapshagai Reservoir will host stages of the international Formula-1 H2O championship, reports infohub.kz.
According to the regional administration, the academy in Konaev will train pilots for water sports equipment. A factory for manufacturing boats for such races will also be located there.
"We want the international championship to gain wide development in Central Asia. That is why we decided to hold the world's largest water races in Konaev, a city widely known for its potential in water tourism," said Raimondo di San Germano, a representative of H2O Racing.
The administration also expects the championship to attract tourists to the region. In the foreseeable future, a national team of Kazakhstan will be formed to represent the country in world races.
The administration has not yet disclosed how many pilots the academy will accommodate, when construction will begin, or what the future complex will look like. So far, these are just plans.
Recall that this year's Formula-1 H2O stage took place on Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. During the competition, organizers officially announced that the 2027 World Championship will be held on the Kapshagai Reservoir.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that Netflix has started broadcasting Formula-1 races live.