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Following Tokyo’s arrival into Formula E, another new Asian venue is reportedly poised to join the calendar in season 10, as mainland China looks set to return to the series for the first time since the end of 2015.
Shanghai is potentially going to join the Formula E calendar, with a shortened layout of the Shanghai International Circuit to be used. This is, of course, where Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix is held, meaning it’ll become the second purpose-built circuit on the calendar, alongside the Portland International Raceway.
Shanghai possibly taking the currently vacant May 25 slot has been reported by The Race, who have also revealed a whole heap of other calendar news regarding how season 10 could shape up. According to them, Cape Town is looking increasingly unlikely to return for a second season, despite its inaugural race having been one of the best of season nine.
The Cape Town E-Prix was one of the highlights of the season, with it having been where António Félix da Costa pulled off a remarkable last lap move to snatch victory away from Jean-Éric Vergne. Despite the thrilling event, it’s rumoured to have not been a financial success, resulting in it’s return looking bleak.
Another venue on the brink of not returning is Hyderabad; however, Formula E Operations is working incredibly hard to try and make an E-Prix in India happen next season. Indian manufacturer Mahindra and Jaguar TCS Racing are eager for the sport to return to the nation, with both having huge markets in the country.
Supposedly, Formula E are working with the relevant regional governments to get a return to Hyderabad up and running, whilst racing in Chennai has also been considered if a return to Hyderabad simply can’t happen.
Given that races in Hyderabad and Cape Town were both expected to take place in February, it currently leaves an entire month without a race.
Should neither Hyderabad nor Cape Town happen, then based on the current provisional calendar – which will be updated at the next FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in October – season 10 could see a seven-week break between Diriyah and São Paulo.
With the two TBC confirmed slots in February (10 & 24) still looking in trouble, having Shanghai take the May 25 slot would be a huge relief for Formula E as season 10 fast approaches. It’s believed that the Chinese city stands a very good chance at being on the updated calendar which Formula E will send to the FIA to be approved at the Council meeting.
Should Shanghai be successful, then the Shanghai International Circuit will host both Formula 1 and Formula E in the space of just over a month, with F1 returning to Shanghai for the first time since 2019 on April 19-21 next year.
Shanghai would join Tokyo as a new Asian host city in Formula E, a sign that the sport is attempting to increase its market in the continent. Whilst Formula E hasn’t visited mainland China since Beijing in 2015, the championship has raced in both Hong Kong and Sanya, two special regional states.
Above: Formula E last visited mainland China back in October 2015 at the Beijing E-Prix – Credit: Adam Warner courtesy of FIA Formula E
Both Hong Kong and Sanya featured on the season five calendar in 2019 but were obviously cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Understandably, logistical issues have made a return to either virtually impossible, although China is starting to fully open back up again to the world, allowing the likes of Formula E and F1 to return.
How Formula E would perform on a shortened version of Shanghai’s famous venue is a question which many will ask; however, a sensible prediction would be that it could produce a similar style race to Portland, where a record-breaking 403 overtakes were recorded.
Formula E and several teams are very much wanting the all-electric series to return to China, with the sport’s deputy CEO and chief championship officer Alberto Longo having expressed back in July that the category needs a “footprint” in the nation.
“Everybody understood up to 2023 that it wasn’t viable because of COVID, but from 2024 the pressure is there,” Longo told The Race.
“That’s not just coming from the Formula E eco-system but ourselves too, we are putting on a lot of pressure to be back to mainland China.”
Keyword: Formula E potentially set to return to China using Shanghai’s F1 circuit