Formula E chief Alberto Longo acknowledged interest in holding second race of the category in Sanya, but pandemic still hinders possible agreement. Marrakech appears as a second option
The calendar released by the Formula E organization for next season has three open dates, and the category is working to secure the names as soon as possible. The first of them - on February 25 -, for example, is already booked to host the first Cape Town eP in FE history, while the second - on March 11, just before the São Paulo eP -, which the bosses dream of taking to China, still faces difficulties because of the pandemic.
The Sanya eP, which took place only once in the 2018/2019 season - and was won by DS Techeetah's Jean-Èric Vergne - is the category's 'consumption dream' to occupy the second open date, just before Formula E's first trip to Brazil. However, local restrictions regarding the pandemic are still severe, making a possible deal difficult.
"Sanya is the place we have, but I find it hard to believe that we would be able to do a race there," admitted Formula E co-founder and boss Alberto Longo to English portal The Race. "Without the possibility today to even travel to the venue, we have to see. We still have three months until the World Motor Racing Council in October," he analyzed.
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Longo's hope is that the situation at the venue will improve by the time the FIA World Council meets later this year, so that it will be possible to seek approval from the local authorities for the race.Longo hopes that the situation on the ground will improve by the time the FIA World Council meets later in the year, so that it will be possible to seek approval from the local authorities to hold the second race in Formula E history in the country.
"The Council has been postponed a bit, it was supposed to take place in September and now it will be in October. That gave us a little breathing room to make it happen," he noted. "Sanya has happened before, so it's not a new venue and maybe it can be confirmed. By then, it might be feasible to do that," he opined.
Longo pointed out that the pandemic is Formula E's main - if not the only - problem in getting the race right, and admitted that the category already reserves its 'card up its sleeve' - the Marrakech eP - for a possible venue substitution - but not the only one.
It is worth noting that the race in Morocco was not scheduled on the 2021/2022 calendar and is also not on the 2022/2023 calendar, but returned this year with the withdrawal of Vancouver, Canada. So it is to be expected that Formula E will again opt for the country should the need arise.
"The reason we can't confirm the date is very obvious. I mean, Covid still takes place there, the restrictions are still firm in the country," he lamented. "We need to buy a little time to decide if it is feasible for us to go there. Our goal is to confirm the three races we haven't announced yet, and if any of them don't happen, then we will look not only at this option [Marrakech], but also at some others," he explained.
The first - and only - race in Formula E history in Sanya had, besides the victory built by Vergne, Oliver Rowland and António Félix da Costa completing the podium. Four Brazilians competed in that race, but only one completed all the laps: Felipe Massa was tenth with Venturi, three positions ahead of his teammate Edoardo Mortara - today, championship leader.
Among the others, Lucas Di Grassi was 15th with Audi after crashing on the last lap, Nelsinho Piquet abandoned in 21st place driving for Jaguar, and Felipe Nasr could not even start after having a technical problem in his Penske - the same reason for the abandonment of the other team's car, driven by José María López.
Finally, in relation to what is already known, the mayor of Cape Town addressed the staging of the race in an interview with local media, reaffirming his interest in hosting Formula E for the first time next year.
"I hope that in the coming years, Formula E will create a fan base as large as that of Formula 1," said Geordin Hill-Lewis. "Hosting the race in Cape Town will ensure that millions will see our beautiful city around the world. The organizers are creating a great spectacle in the week before the race to showcase the best of electric mobility and renewable energy," added Hill-Lewis.
While Formula E has agreed on Cape Town for February 25 and is chasing Sanya - or Marrakech - for March 11, the last available date is still open: June 24, the last single-race round before the season-ending double-headers in Rome and London.