Formula E venue concern
FORMULA E’s London race is at risk because of the sport’s rapid growth.
The all-electric series has only raced at the ExCeL Centre in London since 2021 but the event has already become a staple of the motorsport calendar due to its unique half-indoor, halfoutdoor track.
Last year, McLaren driver Jake Hughes broke the indoor land speed world record at the ExCeL with a specially adapted version of their Gen3 race car.
And the indoor home straight presents motorsport’s only opportunity for spectacular light shows and music acts to provide an immersive experience for spectators.
In July, for the second year running, London will host the season finale.
But with speeds increasing and technology developing, the London race is constantly being assessed for its suitability.
Potential
FE’s CEO Jeff Dodds is a keen advocate for showing off the full speed and potential of the Formula E car.
The ExCeL are currently undergoing major development works to expand their site and provide new space for FE — and are keen to extend the current contract, which is believed to run until
2026.
The Rome street circuit has already been removed from the calendar after a big accident last season, with
Formula E accepting that they had outgrown the venue.
It was replaced by a traditional race circuit in Misano, as Formula E begins to partially incorporate more dedicated racing tracks into its schedule.
Dodds said: “We want to take the sport to a new audience and be disruptive — and London does that amazingly — on a circuit that allows us to showcase the potential of the car, and we can do it safely.
He added: “We have got to find this balance between wanting to race in cities, but on circuits that are safe and allow us to show the potential of the car.”