Formula E plans 5-6 more races in current season
Formula E is aiming for another ‘five or six’ races this season that could take place behind closed doors, according to series founder and chairman Alejandro Agag.
Five races split across four events have been held so far in the 2019/20 campaign, but the FE sporting regulations require a minimum of six events for the campaign to qualify as a championship.
FE is currently serving a two-month suspension in response to the coronavirus pandemic but three further events are planned – Berlin (June 21), New York (July 21) and the double-header season finale at the London ExCeL Centre (July 25-26).
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Agag said FE would look to organise an additional two or three events.
“For us, it would be great if we can finish the season with more races," he said. "That's the objective. Will we be able to? We don't know.
“Right now, it seems that probably or maybe yes. We may be able to get going in July, in August, in September. So we have those months to organise races.
“I think another five or six races in Europe or in one of those places [Jakarta or Seoul] is our objective and anything is achievable at this point.
“All the cities, obviously, we have a very close relationship with them. We've been always in contact with the cities, and everything is basically postponed by a year.”
When asked by Motorsport.com if FE would prioritise rescheduling new-for-2019/20 venues Jakarta and Seoul, which pay to host races, Agag added: “If we're going to go to Jakarta and Seoul, that's more complicated. We want to and we may try to.
“Particularly Seoul would be really very important because the number of [coronavirus] cases there has dropped a lot.
“But the question is, is everybody going to be allowed to fly there and come back no problem with quarantines and so on and so forth? It will depend very much on the situation at the moment with permissions.”
Agag also said that FE’s business model, which did not rely on ticket sales, meant the championship was evaluating races behind closed doors.
“The big advantage of our model is that we don't depend on ticketing revenue so we can have races without [the] public," he explained.
“We are kind of flexible, we can go to places with no public and maybe that's what we will do. I think we're in an OK position.”
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