Formula E: Paris in, Miami and Monaco out for 2015-16

[Jordan Adcock]

Paris will be the latest city to host a Formula E street race as Miami and Monaco fall off Formula E’s provisional calendar for its second season.

The FIA World Motor Sports Council released the calendar as part of their latest meeting in Mexico City on Friday.

The French capital has been heavily linked with a Formula E race for months, and is now confirmed to open the European leg of the season in April 2016. The circuit will loop around the Les Invalides complex, close to the Eiffel Tower.

Miami’s slot alongside Long Beach, the other American race, is shown as TBD. Formula E is reportedly looking for another American city to replace Miami after the 2015 race was marred by delays to its tight raceday program.

Monaco’s absence was long expected given the plan is for Formula E to biannually alternate its slot with the Historic Grand Prix.

Beijing’s race around its Olympic Park will again open the season, but in October rather than September as last season, so as to prevent the long two month gaps between races the series faced last year.

Mexico City was considered a strong candidate for a new race to be held on a shortened version of its updated Hermanos Rodríguez track, and the TBD slot theoretically still gives it a chance, but the city was not confirmed on the calendar yesterday.

London, as before, will be Formula E’s only double-header and the season finale, but its date is still TBD owing to local debates over continuing to host the race.

Other candidates which have recently emerged to host races include the Belgian capital city Brussels, Swiss cities Zurich and Lugano, plus even former F1 host Imola has proposed a shortened layout of its circuit, cutting left across the infield after the start/finish straight and rejoining the track at the Acque Minerali.

2015/16 Formula E Calendar
Round 1 Beijing October 17, 2015
Round 2 Putrajaya November 7, 2015
Round 3 Punta del Este December 19, 2015
Round 4 Buenos Aires February 6, 2016
Round 5 TBD March 19, 2016
Round 6 Long Beach April 2, 2016
Round 7 Paris April 23, 2016
Round 8 Berlin May 21, 2016
Round 9 Moscow June 4, 2016
Rounds 10 and 11 London TBD

 

[R.J. O'Connell]

Here's to hoping the TBD will be come the lightly-rumored Atlanta race!

Also, it IS going to be awful that Monaco won't be back, on the other hand, Berlin, Punta del Este, Moscow, and London can each step up to fill that "crown jewel" spot in the calendar. Though, once Geneva hits the calendar, I think that should be the biggest race of the season - there's no other racing series in the world that can legally have a race there, and they should take advantage of that.

 

[Andy 'Mars Bar' Graham]

Monaco didn't provide much good racing so I'm not too sad its gone.

I hope they expand the calendar more in the future. The gaps between races is too long and more races fill this void without races

 

[Matt Y]

I Hope they grow some balls and add a permanent course.

 

[Peter Hooper]

Good to see and can only hope that the London event takes place again. I was there for ther Saturday race and thoroughly enjoyed it. The people lobbying to get it stopped hopefully won't get their way. Can't see how they would find anywhere else in London that would be able to host it.

 

[Trimaz]

Good to see and can only hope that the London event takes place again. I was there for ther Saturday race and thoroughly enjoyed it. The people lobbying to get it stopped hopefully won't get their way. Can't see how they would find anywhere else in London that would be able to host it.

You will find those types everywhere. Melbourne has hosted the F1 GP since 1996 and they still get about two or three people from the "Save Albert Park" group. They even have a website. I admire their persistence.