SILVERSTONE LINED UP AS NEW HOST FOR UK’S FORMULA E ENCOUNTER
Move away from ExCeL venue mooted and F1 venue is tipped as a replacement
The British round of the all-electric Formula E championship is set to switch to Silverstone in the future according to sources.
The category has been hosted in the ExCeL in east London since 2021 but concerns over the space available in the venue and over the layout of the inside-outside circuit have risen. Talks have taken place to consider an alternative and Brands Hatch was in the frame but Silverstone has emerged as favourite.
The series has usually used specially created street tracks in the past and has therefore avoided a direct comparison with other categories in terms of outright speed, there has been a gradual shift towards permanent circuits. Valencia has hosted a race as has Portland in the US, and this term the category races at Misano and Shanghai too.
Although no deal with Silverstone has been agreed, it could appear on the calendar in April next season and the track is thought to be proposed around sections of the current national and International configurations, rather than the full Grand Prix layout.
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds recently told media that some more traditional venues were a possibility. He said: “There’s part of me that thinks that circuits that are great for motorbikes often create good circuits for Formula E because we’re a lighter, nimbler car, more overtaking, so sometimes it can feel more like a motorsport race.”