Could A Second U.S. Race Make Americans Finally Care About Formula E?
![Could A Second U.S. Race Make Americans Finally Care About Formula E?](https://www.insurancenewsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1721657297_Could-A-Second-US-Race-Make-Americans-Finally-Care-About-1024x576.jpg)
Those pesky Europeans like to complain about the fact that Formula 1 has five races in North America, with events taking place in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico every year. Now, Formula E could be about to follow suit with more races here in the Land Of The Free as the electric race series targets new fans across the region.
Formula E will reach the end of its tenth season of all-electric racing this weekend with a double-header in London. Ahead of the race, series CEO Jeff Dodds outlined his ambitions for the sport as a new season and a new car launches later this year.
Chief among those goals is growing the sport’s fan base around the world, with key targets being more fans in the U.S. and China. Currently, the sport has an estimated 400 million fans worldwide, Dodds says, which has grown at a rate of around 20 percent every year.
The U.S. and China are key markets for Jeff Dodds’ vision. Photo: Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E (Getty Images)
“There are still opportunities within the calendar, I think” Dodds told Jalopnik when we sat down ahead of the race. These opportunities, he said, could include “doubling down” in places like “North America and China.”
As it stands, Formula E will host one race in the U.S. in season 11, which kicks off in December. The electric series will race in Miami next April when it will take to the Homestead-Miami Speedway circuit that Nascar usually races at. However, Dodds says he wouldn’t be opposed to adding another event in the Home Of The Brave in order to reach more American fans.
“North America is a massive market, the second biggest market in the world for EVs, and is an incredibly important strategic market,” Dodds explained.
“We’ve been in and out of North America for 10 years, so we need a footprint in North America. One race probably isn’t enough to give you a footprint so over time we need two, I would suggest.”
Formula E raced in Portland just last month. Photo: John Lamparski (Getty Images)
Formula E will also race in Mexico in Season 11, but ambitions for a Canadian event have struggled to materialize in recent years following the cancellation of a race in Vancouver scheduled for season eight. However, things could soon change.
“For us, now is a great time to double down on North America, as Formula One has done with its races in North America now,” Dodds says.
“I think over time you will see our presence grow.”
New York, New York. Photo: Andrew Ferraro /Jaguar Racing (Getty Images)
A few weeks ahead of Formula E’s return to Miami on April 12 2025, there is a race still to be set in stone on the season 11 calendar. Could this be a second U.S. race on the cards already and, if so, where would you like to see Formula E race?
Before all that, though, Formula E has season 10 to decide with a double-header in London this weekend. There are seven drivers still in the fight for the title, which will be decided at the indoor/outdoor track in the UK capital.