It’s starting to sound like the schedule for fashion week not a motorsport world championship.
Last year it was London, this year it’s been Paris and next year, if Formula E gets its wish, New York will feature on the race calendar for the first time.
The Big Apple has long been eyed as a potential venue for the electric car series, and CEO Alejandro Agag is “very optimistic” about the chances of staging a historic race on its streets.
“We have two or three very exciting surprises for the end of the season,” Agag told CNN’s Supercharged show.
“I’ve just come from New York looking at different venues, different possibilities. It’s far from done yet but we are very optimistic. Our dream would be to have a race in New York.”
The prospect of a new race for next season is a boost after the disappointment of having to cancel next month’s Moscow ePrix in Russia, which was scheduled to host round nine of the 2015-16 championship.
“The Moscow authorities have been extremely cooperative with us but on that date there were so many things going on around the venue we wanted, right next to the Kremlin, that we had to take the decision to postpone the race — but Moscow will happen in the future,” Agag said.
This weekend, the drivers will battle on the streets of Berlin, racing along Karl-Marx-Allee and around Strausberger Platz.
With three races remaining, the drivers’ championship is finely poised with ABT Schaeffler’s Lucas di Grassi holding a slender 11-point lead over Renault e.Dams driver Sebastian Buemi.
The Swiss, who spent three seasons in Formula One racing for the Toro Rosso team, has enthusiastically embraced electric car racing.
“It’s amazing although it’s only the second season,” Buemi said. “When you see what they try to do with the podium ceremony, when you see the fan boost, trying to interact with the fans, I think it’s a great thing.”
