Formula E insists it is not moving away from its city-center roots despite the addition of more permanent circuits on the calendar.
The all-electric championship was founded in 2014 with the aim of taking motorsport to the fans, differentiating itself from Formula 1, which mostly held races at remote purpose-built tracks.
It’s an approach that has seen Formula E successfully host races in some of the biggest metropolitan regions around the world, including New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
However, there has been a noticeable shift in the way the calendar is structured in recent races, with Jarama and Shanghai joining Mexico City as the three permanent tracks on the 2025-26 schedule.
The arrival of the faster and more powerful Gen4 car at the end of the year is expected to accelerate that shift further. It’s understood that the existing street race around the London ExCel will be dropped in favour of another venue in Britain.
Formula E’s Chief Championship Officer Alberto Longo accepted that it’s becoming harder for the series to race on pure street circuits run entirely on public roads. But he insists the series will continue to prioritise urban locations, with Berlin Tempelhof and Miami Autodrom serving as prime examples of the direction it wants to pursue.
“We haven’t changed our DNA. We are still thinking that we need to look for these venues in city centres,” Longo told Motorsport.com.
Mitch Evans, Jaguar TCS Racing Jaguar I-TYPE 7, Jake Dennis, Andretti Formula E Porsche 99X Electric
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
“The problem is that street racing is becoming super challenging because of the speed of these cars and the power of these cars.
“So what we are trying to find more and more is venues like the Tempelhof; private venues where you can actually design the track the way you want to showcase the performance of these cars. That is kind of what we’re heading to, and that hasn’t changed.”
Longo stressed Formula E’s main objective is to ensure it remains present in key markets, irrespective of the kind of venue it races on.
“For us, what is very clear is that we need to be in the markets that we want to be in,” he said. “That is the top priority. If I need to be in the UK for example, I will be in the UK. The type of track won’t be [relevant].
“Once we go to markets, then the second priority is what type of venue we use in that market.”
Formula E first ventured into Japan in 2024 with a new temporary track built around the Tokyo Exhibition Centre in Ariake. The race remains of significant importance to the series, and the switch to a night schedule this year will see it being broadcast at a more favourable time in Europe.
The future of the Tokyo Street Circuit has been under discussion for a long time, with its narrow confines making it difficult to accommodate Gen4 cars without significant alterations.
Oliver Rowland, Nissan Formula E Team
Photo by: Andreas Beil
Longo expressed confidence about the current venue being retained for the 2026-27 season.
“The contract with Tokyo is finishing at the end of the season, they’re willing to continue,” he said.
“We have been talking to the FIA at length regarding that particular track. We want to have this compromise of showcasing the best technology in those cars, but also being loyal to our principles, racing as much as we can in city-center venues.
“Tokyo ticks all the boxes. Vibrant city, top five in the world, and a night race. Definitely, it’s a hard one to leave, and we hope to continue there.”
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