Formula E might not be coming to Hyderabad next year, as the city has in all likelihood been denied the hosting rights for the 2024 championship.
Top sources in the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) have confirmed to The Hindu that Hyderabad “won’t be hosting the event” that was marked to be held in February 2024. The city hosted India’s maiden Formula E race, with Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne winning the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix.
“At the moment, the race isn’t happening in Hyderabad, and India’s chances of hosting the 2024 Championship are slim. There are various reasons, and one cannot identify one particular aspect behind it,” a top FMSCI official said.
Formula E will witness 17 races across 10 global cities for the 2024 edition, with the test run starting in Spain from October 23–27. The New Year will see Mexico host the first race on January 13, with Saudi Arabia welcoming the race fleet for the January 26–27 event.
While Brazil, Japan, Italy, Monaco, Germany, Indonesia, the USA, and the UK have found a place on the hosting sheet, India has been left out. Berlin remains the only city to host an E-Prix in all 10 seasons, but Hyderabad misses out on the street circuit calendar with TBD (To Be Decided) marked for the February 10 and 24 races.
Sao Paulo and Portland made their debut in 2023, along with Hyderabad, and will engage race enthusiasts with the speed and thrills of the GEN3 era cars. Experts in the motorsport industry have also linked the chaos and pandemonium that prevailed when the city hosted the Formula E race.
On the opening day, a security breach saw vehicular traffic enter the race area of the street circuit, and the first practice session was delayed by an hour. “Hosting a Formula E or Formula One race requires a lot of expertise and experience. I just hope Hyderabad gets back the hosting rights, but it looks difficult at the moment. The circuit is great and there is nothing wrong with the track. It’s just the management thing that might have led to this decision. It was the first time that Hyderabad was hosting and it was great. The challenge is to host it on a consistent basis like other countries,” another source said.
However, Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar said that the State is still hopeful of hosting the race. “The next meeting of the FIA organising committee is in October, and they will take a call,” he told Sportstar.
Formula E witnessed the first year of the GEN3 era with four debut race locations, including Hyderabad. While the action on the track captivated the attention of racing fans, the Hyderabad E-Prix is currently racing against time to provide fans with another virtual experience of zooming cars on the race track.
