Formula E will return to India with the Hyderabad E-Prix in 2024
ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has released the updated 2024 season calendar with India hosting round four. After quite a bit of uncertainty, the new calendar finally includes Hyderabad following approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council. Formula E is also set to host races in China, the USA, Japan and more.
Hyderabad E-Prix
Formula E is set to return to Hyderabad in its tenth season, scheduled for Saturday, February 10, 2024. Although this year’s race was a success and had a remarkable revenue generation of close to USD 84 million (Rs 698 crore), there was still a bit of uncertainty over Formula E’s 2024 return to Hyderabad. But now those issues seem to have gone away. Hyderabad will host the fourth round of the season after the opening round in Mexico and a double-header in Saudi Arabia.
In the 2024 season, Formula E is set to race in the three most populated countries globally, with India being a crucial addition, solidifying its status as a prominent event in the global motorsport calendar. The return of Formula E to Hyderabad signifies a significant milestone for Indian motorsport, underlining the country’s growing enthusiasm for the same. This year we also witnessed the debut of MotoGP – the world’s premier two-wheeler racing championship which is also likely to return next year. Combined with the return of Formula E, such events are sure to make India a hotspot for motorsport and hopefully encourage younger talent to aspire to the world stage as well.
Alberto Longo, co-founder & chief championship officer of Formula E, expressed excitement saying, “Without a doubt, our Season 10 calendar is the most compelling yet for drivers, teams, fans and viewers around the world. We are taking Formula E to Shanghai for the first time and are honoured to return to India thanks to the support of the Telangana Government and Minister K. T. Rama Rao. The combination of street circuits, which is in Formula E’s DNA, and established race tracks will allow drivers to push the capabilities of the Gen 3 car harder and further after a first season that beat all expectations with triple-digit overtakes in most races and the world championship titles decided on the final weekend.”
Other calendar updates
The new calendar also gave us updates for other races such as Shanghai, China, which would make its debut on the calendar, hosting a double-header race weekend on May 25 and May 26, 2024. Tokyo, Japan, welcomes Formula E for the first time on March 30, 2024. However, the Jakarta E-Prix scheduled for June 8 may face uncertainty due to the Indonesian presidential elections, leaving the possibility of a rescheduled race up in the air. In Italy, after a challenging experience on the narrow, sharp-turning circuit in Rome, Formula E is considering a change of venue for Rounds 7 and 8 in Season 9, with an update on the Italian location expected later in the year.
The 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season features 16 rounds in 11 cities, commencing in Mexico City on Saturday, January 13, and culminating with the season finale in London on the weekend of July 20-21. Many are touting Season 10 to be one of the biggest ones yet, and for us, this calendar update only adds to the hype already raised by Maserati MSG Racing signing Jehan Daruvala and Mahindra Racing’s announcement of signing former World Champion Nyck De Vries. Both of these announcements make the next year's race a must watch for us motorsport fans.
