The Formula E electric car-racing series will resume in August with six races in nine days at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport.
The German capital will host three double-header events on August 5-6, August 8-9 and August 12-13. Each pair of races will use a different track configuration to allow for distinct strategies and encourage exciting racing.
Formula E had staged five races of its 2019-20 season before Covid-19 led to its suspension. The six-event swing in Berlin will round out Formula E’s calendar, bringing the total number of races to 11.
Formula E has previously signalled its intention to end the season with five or six races and chairman Alejandro Agag has said that behind-closed-doors would not seriously impact on its business model.
Formula E will implement strict safety measures to ensure the behind-closed-doors races will only go ahead with essential staff and competitors travelling to the event. In line with German government guidelines, a maximum of 1,000 people will be on site at any given time, including local suppliers and medical crews, with each team bringing 20 staff.
Mandatory Covid-19 testing will take place prior to races, as well as on-site screening every day upon arrival at the track.
Jamie Reigle, Formula E chief executive, said: “Since taking action to suspend our season in March, we have emphasised a revised calendar which places the health and safety of our community first, represents Formula E’s distinct brand of city centre racing and offers an exciting conclusion to the compelling season of racing we had seen so far.
“We’re heading to Berlin Tempelhof, a venue that our teams, drivers and fans love, to stage a nine-day festival of racing with three back-to-back double-headers. The festival will feature three track layouts, presenting a new challenge and creating the conditions for an unpredictable and drama-filled climax to our season.”
Confirmation of the new calendar means that the inaugural Seoul E-Prix will be put on hold for a year.
Formula E held a nine-week esports competition featuring all of its drivers in the absence of live racing. Proceeds from the Formula E Race at Home Challenge, which saw races take place every Saturday before a grand final on June 7, were donated to Unicef’s efforts to support children during the Covid-19 crisis.
In April, Formula E renewed its hosting agreement with the Italian capital of Rome until 2025, with the series having agreed to underwrite all of the organisational costs of the race. Rome has featured on the Formula E calendar since the 2017-18 season and offers one of the longest circuits in the season.
