Formula one hosting strategies in Asia: a comparative study of South Korea, Singapore, and China, with policy implications for Thailand

Abstract

This study examines the glocalization strategies adopted by four Asian nations—China, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand—in hosting or planning Formula One Grand Prix events and investigates how variations in these strategies produce divergent national branding outcomes. Drawing on the theoretical triad of globalization (conceptualized as “grobalization”), glocalization, and strategic nation branding, the study develops a three-stage analytical model: Standardized Global Input (the rigid technical and commercial mandates of the FIA and FOG), Glocal Adaptation (operationalized through four analytical dimensions: Policy and Institutional Adaptation, Spatial and Economic Territorialization, Social Embedding and Legacy, and Strategic Brand Equity ); and National Branding Outcomes (assessed through three categories of verifiable evidence: international media framing, tourism spillover and economic multiplier data, and institutional continuity indicators).Employing a Most Different Systems Design and comparative case study method, the research analyzes how variations in glocalization strategies across cases that differ substantially in political system, economic structure, and cultural context explain divergent national branding outcomes—from Singapore's sustained reputation dividend to South Korea's soft disempowerment. The findings identify four causal conditions that consistently mediate hosting success: policy continuity and centralized coordination capacity; spatial fusion between the circuit and the urban core; depth of cultural embedding and narrative alignment; and a public-private risk-sharing mechanism. For Thailand, a prospective host planning a Bangkok street circuit in 2028, the study translates these four conditions into a structured set of policy recommendations organized around institutional synergy, spatial contingency planning, cultural ecosystem development, and sustainable financial governance. The research makes three contributions. Theoretically, it advances the operationalization of glocalization within sport mega-event studies through a replicable four-dimensional analytical framework. It also refines the concept of soft disempowerment by introducing domain-specific reputational dissonance—demonstrating that mega-event failure can damage specific reputational domains without collapsing overall national soft power. Methodologically, it extends the Most Different Systems Design to prospective, normative case analysis, broadening its application beyond retrospective causal inference.