Fans of electric motorsport should mark the 20th of September, 2014 on their calendars – in pencil, please. The FIA Formula E Championship has released the provisional itinerary for its inaugural racing season, and it's on this date that things are set to kick off in Beijing, China. There have been several changes to originally announced locations, but overall, we have to say things have shaped up nicely and the series' parade around the globe has a nice flow, with continent hopping kept to a bare minimum.
After the Beijing opener, it's off to Putrajaya, Malaysia for an October 18th contest, then back up to Hong Kong, the first of three newly added cites, for more racing action on the 8th of November. The electric circus then crosses the Pacific for Round 4 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on December 13th. From there, it's just a hop, skip and a splash across the Rio de la Plata for the January 10th Buenos Aires, Argentina showdown.
The US gets Formula E love on February 14th, 2015 in Los Angeles before Round 7 springs into Miami on 18th of April. After a cruise trip across the Atlantic, the series heads to a May 9th date with perennial Formula 1 favorite, Monaco, before marching over to Berlin, Germany. There, we are told, the May 30th contest will take place on the grounds of the (now closed) historic Tempelhof airport. The 10th and final Round happens in London, England on the 27th of June.
Four of the forty cars (remember, two cars per driver, twenty drivers on ten teams) can now be expected to be clad in the snazzy livery of Dragon Racing (pictured above). The US team, currently a participant in the IndyCar racing series and owned by Jay Penske, will join fellow Americans Andretti Autosport, Britain's Drayson Racing, and China Racing as pioneers of international electric auto racing. The balance of the ten participants are expected to be announced by the end of November, while the provisional calendar will be finalized in December. Scroll down for a look at the new Formula E promotional video along with an official set of press releases with all the details of these two announcements.
After the Beijing opener, it's off to Putrajaya, Malaysia for an October 18th contest, then back up to Hong Kong, the first of three newly added cites, for more racing action on the 8th of November. The electric circus then crosses the Pacific for Round 4 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on December 13th. From there, it's just a hop, skip and a splash across the Rio de la Plata for the January 10th Buenos Aires, Argentina showdown.
The US gets Formula E love on February 14th, 2015 in Los Angeles before Round 7 springs into Miami on 18th of April. After a cruise trip across the Atlantic, the series heads to a May 9th date with perennial Formula 1 favorite, Monaco, before marching over to Berlin, Germany. There, we are told, the May 30th contest will take place on the grounds of the (now closed) historic Tempelhof airport. The 10th and final Round happens in London, England on the 27th of June.
Four of the forty cars (remember, two cars per driver, twenty drivers on ten teams) can now be expected to be clad in the snazzy livery of Dragon Racing (pictured above). The US team, currently a participant in the IndyCar racing series and owned by Jay Penske, will join fellow Americans Andretti Autosport, Britain's Drayson Racing, and China Racing as pioneers of international electric auto racing. The balance of the ten participants are expected to be announced by the end of November, while the provisional calendar will be finalized in December. Scroll down for a look at the new Formula E promotional video along with an official set of press releases with all the details of these two announcements.
FIA Formula E Championship unveils provisional 2014/2015 calendar
Hong Kong, Monte Carlo and Punta del Este added to 10 host cities for spectacular inaugural season
LONDON, UK (27th September 2013): Formula E Holdings, promoters of the new FIA Formula E Championship, today unveiled its provisional 2014/2015 calendar featuring 10 city-centre events spanning four continents, beginning with Beijing, China, on 20th September 2014.
The inaugural calendar was proposed to the FIA during its World Motor Sport Council in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and will run from September 2014 to June 2015. Beijing will have the honour of hosting the world's first fully-electric race while London is set to stage the season finale (Round 10) on 27th June 2015.
Three new venues have also been added from the original list of cities which was announced earlier this year (March). Uruguay's picturesque beach resort of Punta del Este, the glamorous harbour of Monte Carlo and one of the world's leading financial centres Hong Kong. These replace Rome, Rio de Janeiro and Bangkok which will instead be considered as candidate cities for the coming Formula E seasons.
After the opening round in Beijing, the 10 teams and 20 drivers of the FIA Formula E Championship will remain in Asia for Rounds 2 and 3, with Putrajaya, the federal administrative centre of Malaysia on 18th October 2014, followed by Hong Kong on 8th November 2014.
From here, the series heads to South America with Round 4 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on 13th December
2014 before starting the New Year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for Round 5 on 10th January. The series then heads to North America for Rounds 6 and 7 with Los Angeles on 14th February 2015 and Miami on 18th April 2015.
The season then moves to Europe for the final three rounds beginning with Monte Carlo, Monaco, on 9th May 2015 followed by the German capital of Berlin on 30th May 2015 where the former airport of Tempelhof has already been revealed as the circuit location. The inaugural season then reaches its climax in London, UK, on 27th June 2015.
The provisional calendar will now be considered by the FIA before being finalised during the December FIA World Motor Sport Council.
Alejandro Agag, CEO of Championship promoters Formula E Holdings, commented: "We're very excited to be revealing our provisional calendar today and thankful to all the cities that have agreed to host our Formula E races, as well as those that had shown interest. Since launching the Championship last year we have received formal offers from more than 25 cities all over the world making choosing just 10 very difficult indeed. Today's provisional calendar sees us race in the heart of some of the most well-known cities in the world providing a fantastic backdrop and showcasing electric vehicles in their favoured urban environments. We will now focus on finalising the design of each of the circuits as well as working closely with all our partners to ensure we deliver each of these events in the most sustainable way possible."
Agag added: "To be in this position with one year still to go until the first race is a testament to the interest Formula E is generating around the world and the commitment cities have shown to clean mobility and sustainability, not to mention all the hardwork undertaken by our Operations Team. Today is a very exciting day for the future of motorsport and we can't wait for the first race to begin!"
All Formula E events will feature a free practice session, qualifying session, one-hour race and live music concert taking place in a single day (Saturday) in order to minimise disruption to the city and its surrounding areas. Precise circuit layouts for each venue will be revealed at a later stage but all will use city-centre locations. Tickets for the first rounds will go on sale in 2014.
Formula E is a brand new FIA championship featuring Formula cars powered exclusively by electric energy – representing a vision for the future and serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle. For the first season only, all 10 teams - each with two drivers - will compete using the new Spark-Renault SRT_01E car, unveiled earlier this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
2014/2015 FIA Formula E Championship – Provisional Calendar
Round 1
Beijing, China*
20th September 2014
Round 2
Putrajaya, Malaysia
18th October 2014
Round 3
Hong Kong, China
8th November 2014
Round 4
Punta del Este, Uruguay
13th December 2014
Round 5
Buenos Aires, Argentina
10th January 2015
Round 6
Los Angeles, USA
14th February 2015
Round 7
Miami, USA
18th April 2015
Round 8
Monte Carlo, Monaco*
9th May 2015
Round 9
Berlin, Germany
30th May 2015
Round 10
London, UK
27th June 2015
* Subject to ASN approval
All events remain subject to FIA Track Homologation
Follow Formula E:
Twitter: twitter.com/FIAformulaE (@FIAformulaE) Facebook: facebook/fiaformulae
Youtube: youtube/fiaformulae Website: www.fiaformulae.com
About FIA Formula E Championship:
Formula E is a new FIA championship featuring Formula cars powered exclusively by electric energy. It represents a vision for the future of the motor industry over the coming decades, serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle, accelerating general interest in these cars and promoting sustainability. Commencing in September 2014, the Championship will compete in the heart of 10 of the world's leading cities - including London, Beijing and Los Angeles - racing around their iconic landmarks. For the inaugural season, 10 teams, each with two drivers, will go head-to-head creating a unique and exciting racing series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fan. Operating as an 'open championship', the series gives car manufacturers and constructors the opportunity to showcase their electrical energy innovations in a racing environment, designing cars to the technical specifications set out by the FIA.
FIA & Michelin: Today's partners for tomorrow's mobility:
As well as being the official Formula E tyre supplier, Michelin is an official partner, at the international level, of the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign. This program is designed to support the Decade of Action for Road Safety initiated by the UN, the aim of which is to save five million lives over the next ten years. This program is set up to educate and advocate for safer roads, vehicles and behaviours around the globe.
DRAGON RACING JOINS FIA FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP
Leading IndyCar squad appointed fourth team for new global electric race series
LOS ANGELES, USA (25th September, 2013): Leading IndyCar outfit Dragon Racing has today signed an agreement with series promoters Formula E Holdings to become the fourth team to enter the FIA Formula E Championship – the new fully-electric race series beginning in September 2014.
Dragon Racing is owned by media and publishing entrepreneur Jay Penske, with its headquarters based in Los Angeles – a city which has recently become the top market in the world for electric vehicles. It now joins Andretti Autosport, Drayson Racing and China Racing as one of the 10 teams to be put forward to the FIA for final approval by its World Motor Sport Council.
"It's an honour for Dragon Racing to have been selected as one of the founding teams in Formula E," said Jay Penske, Owner and President of Dragon Racing. "Formula E symbolizes a vision for the future of motorsports and the automotive industry, while directly appealing to a new generation of global race fans. Formula E offers a tremendous opportunity for our many technology and media partners, and we look forward to its inevitable growth and ascendancy over the next decade."
Dragon Racing first began in 2006 under the original banner of Luczo Dragon Racing founded by both Penske and Steve Luczo, Chairman and CEO of Seagate Technologies. In May 2007, they made their debut at the Indianapolis 500 finishing an impressive fifth with Ryan Briscoe. Two years later they completed their first full IndyCar season claiming Rookie of the Year with Raphael Matos. Currently Dragon Racing fields two cars in the IndyCar Series with drivers Sebastian Saavedra and four-time Champ Car World Series champion Sébastien Bourdais.
Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings, said: "We're extremely happy to welcome Dragon Racing to the FIA Formula E Championship and are convinced that Jay Penske and the team will be a major contribution to our grid. Today's announcement also brings an LA based team to the Championship. That has special significance as California has become the 'land of electric cars', an example that we want to spread to the rest of the world.
"With Dragon Racing lining up alongside fellow IndyCar giants Andretti Autosport, what's apparent is the continued interest from the States Formula E is receiving from not only teams but also cities, with races taking place in Los Angeles and Miami. We still have more teams to announce over the coming weeks, with the full grid to be made public by the end of November."
For more information on Formula E Championship visit www.fiaformulae.com or for further details on Dragon Racing log onto www.dragonracing.com.
Hong Kong, Monte Carlo and Punta del Este added to 10 host cities for spectacular inaugural season
LONDON, UK (27th September 2013): Formula E Holdings, promoters of the new FIA Formula E Championship, today unveiled its provisional 2014/2015 calendar featuring 10 city-centre events spanning four continents, beginning with Beijing, China, on 20th September 2014.
The inaugural calendar was proposed to the FIA during its World Motor Sport Council in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and will run from September 2014 to June 2015. Beijing will have the honour of hosting the world's first fully-electric race while London is set to stage the season finale (Round 10) on 27th June 2015.
Three new venues have also been added from the original list of cities which was announced earlier this year (March). Uruguay's picturesque beach resort of Punta del Este, the glamorous harbour of Monte Carlo and one of the world's leading financial centres Hong Kong. These replace Rome, Rio de Janeiro and Bangkok which will instead be considered as candidate cities for the coming Formula E seasons.
After the opening round in Beijing, the 10 teams and 20 drivers of the FIA Formula E Championship will remain in Asia for Rounds 2 and 3, with Putrajaya, the federal administrative centre of Malaysia on 18th October 2014, followed by Hong Kong on 8th November 2014.
From here, the series heads to South America with Round 4 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on 13th December
2014 before starting the New Year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for Round 5 on 10th January. The series then heads to North America for Rounds 6 and 7 with Los Angeles on 14th February 2015 and Miami on 18th April 2015.
The season then moves to Europe for the final three rounds beginning with Monte Carlo, Monaco, on 9th May 2015 followed by the German capital of Berlin on 30th May 2015 where the former airport of Tempelhof has already been revealed as the circuit location. The inaugural season then reaches its climax in London, UK, on 27th June 2015.
The provisional calendar will now be considered by the FIA before being finalised during the December FIA World Motor Sport Council.
Alejandro Agag, CEO of Championship promoters Formula E Holdings, commented: "We're very excited to be revealing our provisional calendar today and thankful to all the cities that have agreed to host our Formula E races, as well as those that had shown interest. Since launching the Championship last year we have received formal offers from more than 25 cities all over the world making choosing just 10 very difficult indeed. Today's provisional calendar sees us race in the heart of some of the most well-known cities in the world providing a fantastic backdrop and showcasing electric vehicles in their favoured urban environments. We will now focus on finalising the design of each of the circuits as well as working closely with all our partners to ensure we deliver each of these events in the most sustainable way possible."
Agag added: "To be in this position with one year still to go until the first race is a testament to the interest Formula E is generating around the world and the commitment cities have shown to clean mobility and sustainability, not to mention all the hardwork undertaken by our Operations Team. Today is a very exciting day for the future of motorsport and we can't wait for the first race to begin!"
All Formula E events will feature a free practice session, qualifying session, one-hour race and live music concert taking place in a single day (Saturday) in order to minimise disruption to the city and its surrounding areas. Precise circuit layouts for each venue will be revealed at a later stage but all will use city-centre locations. Tickets for the first rounds will go on sale in 2014.
Formula E is a brand new FIA championship featuring Formula cars powered exclusively by electric energy – representing a vision for the future and serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle. For the first season only, all 10 teams - each with two drivers - will compete using the new Spark-Renault SRT_01E car, unveiled earlier this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
2014/2015 FIA Formula E Championship – Provisional Calendar
Round 1
Beijing, China*
20th September 2014
Round 2
Putrajaya, Malaysia
18th October 2014
Round 3
Hong Kong, China
8th November 2014
Round 4
Punta del Este, Uruguay
13th December 2014
Round 5
Buenos Aires, Argentina
10th January 2015
Round 6
Los Angeles, USA
14th February 2015
Round 7
Miami, USA
18th April 2015
Round 8
Monte Carlo, Monaco*
9th May 2015
Round 9
Berlin, Germany
30th May 2015
Round 10
London, UK
27th June 2015
* Subject to ASN approval
All events remain subject to FIA Track Homologation
Follow Formula E:
Twitter: twitter.com/FIAformulaE (@FIAformulaE) Facebook: facebook/fiaformulae
Youtube: youtube/fiaformulae Website: www.fiaformulae.com
About FIA Formula E Championship:
Formula E is a new FIA championship featuring Formula cars powered exclusively by electric energy. It represents a vision for the future of the motor industry over the coming decades, serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle, accelerating general interest in these cars and promoting sustainability. Commencing in September 2014, the Championship will compete in the heart of 10 of the world's leading cities - including London, Beijing and Los Angeles - racing around their iconic landmarks. For the inaugural season, 10 teams, each with two drivers, will go head-to-head creating a unique and exciting racing series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fan. Operating as an 'open championship', the series gives car manufacturers and constructors the opportunity to showcase their electrical energy innovations in a racing environment, designing cars to the technical specifications set out by the FIA.
FIA & Michelin: Today's partners for tomorrow's mobility:
As well as being the official Formula E tyre supplier, Michelin is an official partner, at the international level, of the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign. This program is designed to support the Decade of Action for Road Safety initiated by the UN, the aim of which is to save five million lives over the next ten years. This program is set up to educate and advocate for safer roads, vehicles and behaviours around the globe.
DRAGON RACING JOINS FIA FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP
Leading IndyCar squad appointed fourth team for new global electric race series
LOS ANGELES, USA (25th September, 2013): Leading IndyCar outfit Dragon Racing has today signed an agreement with series promoters Formula E Holdings to become the fourth team to enter the FIA Formula E Championship – the new fully-electric race series beginning in September 2014.
Dragon Racing is owned by media and publishing entrepreneur Jay Penske, with its headquarters based in Los Angeles – a city which has recently become the top market in the world for electric vehicles. It now joins Andretti Autosport, Drayson Racing and China Racing as one of the 10 teams to be put forward to the FIA for final approval by its World Motor Sport Council.
"It's an honour for Dragon Racing to have been selected as one of the founding teams in Formula E," said Jay Penske, Owner and President of Dragon Racing. "Formula E symbolizes a vision for the future of motorsports and the automotive industry, while directly appealing to a new generation of global race fans. Formula E offers a tremendous opportunity for our many technology and media partners, and we look forward to its inevitable growth and ascendancy over the next decade."
Dragon Racing first began in 2006 under the original banner of Luczo Dragon Racing founded by both Penske and Steve Luczo, Chairman and CEO of Seagate Technologies. In May 2007, they made their debut at the Indianapolis 500 finishing an impressive fifth with Ryan Briscoe. Two years later they completed their first full IndyCar season claiming Rookie of the Year with Raphael Matos. Currently Dragon Racing fields two cars in the IndyCar Series with drivers Sebastian Saavedra and four-time Champ Car World Series champion Sébastien Bourdais.
Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings, said: "We're extremely happy to welcome Dragon Racing to the FIA Formula E Championship and are convinced that Jay Penske and the team will be a major contribution to our grid. Today's announcement also brings an LA based team to the Championship. That has special significance as California has become the 'land of electric cars', an example that we want to spread to the rest of the world.
"With Dragon Racing lining up alongside fellow IndyCar giants Andretti Autosport, what's apparent is the continued interest from the States Formula E is receiving from not only teams but also cities, with races taking place in Los Angeles and Miami. We still have more teams to announce over the coming weeks, with the full grid to be made public by the end of November."
For more information on Formula E Championship visit www.fiaformulae.com or for further details on Dragon Racing log onto www.dragonracing.com.
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