Formula E’s Season 9 provisional calendar leaves room for Cape Town
The final calendar looks set to include a visit to the Mother City on 25 February 2023.
With excitement mounting around the prospect of both an all-new Gen3 racing car, as well as teams from McLaren and Maserati joining Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the provisional calendar for this 2023 tour includes 18 races in 13 venues around the world, including first-time stops in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Hyderabad in India.
Following the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on 29 June, one of the three yet to be confirmed race venues looks set to be filled by Cape Town.
The Mother City looks likely to host its maiden Formula E Race on 25 February 2023. The next available date of 11 March would clash with the already confirmed running of the annual Cape Town Cycle Tour. The only other still available date of 24 June would seem unlikely given the prospect of winter rainfall in this part of the world.
“The Formula E race delivery team just spent three days in Cape Town alongside race promoter E-Movement and reported positive progress in key areas. Road construction for the track has commenced, and other important infrastructure requirements and negotiations are close to completion,” said Formula E Co-Founder & Chief Championship Officer Alberto Longo.
“The Formula E team is in daily contact with counterparts at E-Movement, the local race promoter, and the Formula E leadership team has complete line of sight on the project. We expect E-Movement to continue making positive progress which will result in the Cape Town E-Prix being confirmed when the provisional Season 9 calendar is finalised by the FIA this September”
"We started a journey in June 2019 to secure the rights to stage an E-Prix in Cape Town. Since achieving this objective, it has been all hands on deck to not only be in a position to deliver the race as part of Season 9, but to also stage an E-Fest the week leading up to the race, which includes an E-mobility festival called, 'Electric'!, showcasing all things E, as well as 'Africa's Green Economy Summit', which seeks to marry global capital with green economic opportunity in Africa" said E-Movement Chairman, Iain Banner.
"The upgrade of the Cape Town Stadium precinct based on a 2030 vision, includes the preparation of the FE race track, on which construction is well underway. This work is is scheduled to be completed by mid-December this year."
As a reminder, the proposed Cape Town FE track starts and finishes alongside the refurbished Green Point Stadium, while completing a loop around the landmark Cape Town Stadium, including a fast back straight leading the cars away from the Waterfront in the direction of Granger Bay.
Of course, as South Africa currently grapples with Stage 6 load-shedding, it's worth remembering that the Formula E series prides itself in being completely self-sufficient when it comes to the generation of the power required to host a race weekend. That said, organisers bring with them bio-fuel-powered generators used to power both the cars and the pit-lane garages.
