Formula E returns to London
Sadly, the seventh season of Formula E has already suffered a setback because of the ongoing health crisis. The opening rounds in Santiago, Chile were due to run on 16th and 17th January, but have now been postponed. New dates after the February rounds due to take place in Saudi Arabia have yet to be confirmed – but how can they be with the coronavirus still at large? Everything at this early stage of the year must carry the caveat of a big TBC asterisk.
But by 24th and 25th July, when Formula E is due to return to race in London for the first time since 2016, there’s surely every reason to believe fans will be allowed to witness this new addition to the calendar first-hand. Races around a new track based in and around the ExCel complex in London’s docklands were due to run last year, until the pandemic forced an inevitable cancellation. This time, the London ePrix is scheduled to offer a double-header climax to Formula E’s first season as a bona fide FIA World Championship. That means more than usual will be at stake for the impressive roster of international star drivers and car makers who race in the all-electric series.
Sure, the London rounds will mark series departures for both Audi and BMW, who are quitting as works entities after 2021 – but strength in depth is not yet a problem for a form of motorsport that simply cannot be dismissed as a modern-age fad.