Formula E fans rejoice! The single-seater electric race car world championship is coming to India! Yes. The Telangana government along with Greenko Group, a dispatchable renewables company, has collaborated with the FIA to bring Formula E to India. The capital of the state, Hyderabad, is chosen as the hosting city of the first ever Indian E-Prix. Why do you ask? Because of its newly developed 2.37km street circuit!
The official announcement happened on Monday morning in Begumpet, Hyderabad in the presence of Formula E CEO Alberto Longo and track overlay director Agus Zomeno, as well as India's only Formula E contender, team Mahindra Racing's principal Dilbagh Gill. The Indian Formula E-Prix will be the first FIA-sanctioned world championship event that will take place in India since the Indian Grand Prix in 2013.
This collaboration with Formula E is a part of the Telangana government's push to position itself as the EV hub of India. Hyderabad's 2.37km long street circuit in question was designed by the British company Driven International, whose most famous work includes the home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Yas Marina circuit.
Formula E racing takes place on street circuits in all the cities where the event is held worldwide and Hyderabad is no different. The layout of Hyderabad's street circuit is quite interesting as well. It starts with a lengthy pit straight, which runs parallel to the Hussain Sagar Lake, before a tight right-hand hairpin. Up next is a long turn which takes the cars below a flyover and into another hairpin, before another straight which leads to the final corners of the lap, a slow speed left and right hander that will joins the pit straight. The Hyderabad street circuit is also scheduled to host the Formula Regional Indian Championship and Indian Formula 4 this year!
Hyderabad has been added to the current 2022 Formula E season which will commence at the end of this month. And because it is a new entry into the calendar, it will most likely host the race at the very end, that is either in December 2022 or January 2023. As of now, a ‘letter of intention’ between Hyderabad and Formula E has been signed which gives us a firm confirmation of the event.
Along with the addition of India to the race calendar, Formula E will also hit the streets of Jakarta, Indonesia for the first time. 2022 will also see the Gen 2 Formula E cars in their most powerful avatar, for the final time. With their base power increased to 295bhp (up from 268bhp) and 335bhp in attack mode. Think the Formula E cars are a bit underwhelming, when it comes to the power figure? Click here to read what the Ed had to say after driving a Formula E car in 2017! And while you're at it, also have a read at what the country's very own Mahindra Racing is aiming for at the 2022 Championship.
The eighth season of the Formula E championship will start at the end of this month, from January 28 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, with cities like Mexico, Rome, Vancouver, New York and London to follow suit.