Since taking over his new position nearly one yr in the past, Components E CEO Jeff Dodds has been vocal on a number of matters as he seems to be to information the all-electric championship to larger and higher issues.
The most recent noise has centred across the 2024-25 Components E calendar that was launched earlier this month, having been authorised by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council and which encompasses a scheduled 17 races throughout 11 places.
The marketing campaign begins in Sao Paulo in December this yr, races throughout two calendar seasons – one thing which hasn’t occurred since earlier than the pre-COVID period – and stretches till July 2025, the place it’s going to as soon as once more end in London on the ExCeL.
Tokyo, a well-liked new addition for this yr, and Monaco each improve to double-headers given the enchantment of each, whereas Jakarta in Indonesia returns after a one-year hiatus brought on by native politics.
Delving deeper, although, Dodds has made no secret of the truth that he sees Components E as a “metropolis racing collection” and “of these 17 races, lower than 25% of them will likely be on fastened circuits.
“That means from a sticking to our DNA viewpoint, three-quarters of our races will likely be on road circuits or constructed circuits,” says Dodds. “It’s an actual combination of outdated favourites. A number of the suggestions we get from groups, producers, from followers, is this type of need for hardcore calendar continuity.”
Of the 11 places listed on the calendar, solely three of them are at everlasting services together with Mexico Metropolis’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the Shanghai Worldwide Circuit in China and the newest US addition, the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Components E added Shanghai to the calendar for the present season
Photograph by: Andreas Beil
Whereas 9 of the venues have been raced at beforehand by the championship, two new locations will likely be visited for the primary time, together with Miami’s speedway, together with a TBD listed for 8 March, which Dodds confirmed will likely be new and Autosport understands is Chiang Mai in Thailand.
The American race will likely be held on 12 April and takes place on the vast majority of Homestead’s infield highway course part, in addition to doubtlessly a part of the oval, turning into the fifth totally different venue used for a Components E race within the US after earlier visits to a purpose-built Miami circuit, Lengthy Seaside, New York and, most just lately, Portland.
“We predict it’s a extremely good circuit, well-suited to our type of racing. The Miami identify that comes with it, from a world tv viewers, the Miami identify is a giant draw, maybe a much bigger draw than cities equivalent to Portland,” says Dodds, who admits {that a} second location within the US is being sought.
“The truth is for the situation [Misano], which is kind of a method from the closest airport and the type of racing which not everybody liked, it didn’t really feel to us like that was going to be the everlasting, long-term house” Jeff Dodds
“We even have in all probability seven or eight totally different massive US cities at present speaking to us about placing a race on of their metropolis. So these conversations are reside and at all times ongoing. I believe our calendar can maintain two races in North America and doubtless two races in China.”
However whereas Dodds is already seeking to develop Components E’s development in markets the place gross sales of EV know-how is on the rise, a notable absence from the calendar subsequent time period is there will likely be no race in Italy.
The Misano World Circuit hosted a double-header earlier this yr for the primary time, however drew criticism, because the extensive, flowing expanses of the Italian venue produced frenetic racing that has turn out to be disliked by many drivers, whereas the widely distant location meant Components E organisers didn’t search a return.
“The truth is for the situation, which is kind of a method from the closest airport and the type of racing which not everybody liked, it didn’t really feel to us like that was going to be the everlasting, long-term house,” admits Dodds. “We predict we should be nearer to a big metropolis and ideally we might be on a constructed or road circuit, not a everlasting circuit.”
Misano has been dropped partly resulting from its distant location
Photograph by: Andreas Beil
Whereas the push for extra road circuits nearer to the center of cities is sensible on paper, provided that was one of many distinctive promoting factors of the championship when it shaped 10 years in the past, in actuality, it now poses a rising drawback as a result of ever-increasing speeds of the automobiles.
The Gen3 Evo which will likely be used subsequent season is because of be quicker than its predecessor, whereas the deliberate introduction of the Gen4 machine, that includes practically double the ability and slick tyres for the primary time, will drastically compound the issue Components E faces if it needs to proceed racing on tight and twisty road venues.
Not solely would these places restrict the true potential of the machines, however larger prices would additionally should be spent to make sure the venues are as much as an appropriate security customary. The elevated speeds of the Gen3 machine was one of many the explanation why the long-standing Rome venue was dropped from the calendar this season, the structure deemed redundant and even unsafe following a nasty multi-car accident on the final go to.
“Components 1 is introducing road circuits into their calendar and the automobiles are a lot greater and extra highly effective than we’re, so it may be accomplished,” says Dodds. “We’re going to places we’re actually eager to race at but when it’s not sensible to construct a race circuit in the course of town, we’ll have a look at everlasting circuits nevertheless it’s about discovering the precise everlasting circuits.
“Good instance of that, I’d like to have a race on the Bund in Shanghai, however the actuality is 50 minutes away you’ve received a world-class race circuit with world-class services with a willingness to make the monitor match our wants sooner or later.
“The ambition can be to have a retention of our DNA, racing in cities, however to carry applicable fastened circuits in the place we expect we are able to present the potential of the automobile and we are able to entice the fanbase.”
For now, at the least, Components E’s focus has moved again to road and metropolis circuits which will likely be welcome information to drivers, lots of whom have grown to dislike the peloton type of racing that everlasting circuits typically produce due to the present breed of automobile.
However how lengthy that is still a viable choice for the way forward for the championship is up for debate because it continues to push EV know-how which will imply present venues danger turning into a non-viable choice.
Metropolis tracks are again in vogue after Components E flirted with everlasting services
Photograph by: Andreas Beil