Aaron Lloyd CollinsTECHEETAH’s Managing Director Ivan Yim has stated that a second Chinese race in the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship would make the sport more ‘attractive’.
When the Season Five calendar was released earlier this month, a race scheduled for March 10th, 2019 was pencilled in for China, with the location yet to be confirmed.
At present, Shanghai are the favourites to host the event and are believed to be negotiating with Formula E, as well as another Chinese city which is currently unknown.
A race with the former would be a big coup for the all-electric series, as the Shanghai Auto Show stands out in the auto industry schedule, with the 2019 edition due to take place the following April.
Speaking to e-racing365, Yim explained why he believed a second race in China would a huge step forward for the championship:
“A race in China is obviously very attractive for us and I think for all the manufacturers. In March/April time there is a perfect storm of automotive and technology industry in China with various shows and events.”
“To have a race in a big city like Shanghai or Guangzhou would be fantastic.”
Although he didn’t express a desire for a specific location, Yim did discuss why Guangzhou would be an appropriate choice for Formula E. “Guangzhou the city and the whole province is mega and very cosmopolitan. We are talking about a catchment of 120-130 million people, so it has plenty of attractions.”
“I could see it working nicely there too, so hopefully there is an element of choice”.
Formula E has a long story on Asian soil, as the series’ first ever race was held in Beijing in September of 2014; with the Chinese city hosting S2’s opening race, as well. Seasons 3 and 4 have had Hong Kong as the opening venue in the calendar.
Bethonie Waring
