Formula E Could Host Its Next American Race in St. Petersburg, FL
This season’s New York City ePrix may have been its last.Photo: LAT Images
The preliminary 2022-23 Formula E calendar still leaves several spots to be filled, and there are rumors afoot that New York City may no longer be the location of the series’ American race. Instead, Sam Smith from The Race reports that the electric race series could move to St. Petersburg, Florida — a site that currently hosts the IndyCar series.
The New York City ePrix has taken place in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn for the past five years, and the borough has an option to expand the event for the next five years. That, though, depends heavily on a big restructuring of the current Red Hook location — and anyone who has ever existed in a city knows that getting structural changes approved by local governments can be a trying task.
Instead, the electric series is looking to head down to Florida to compete on the very St. Pete, Florida track that has hosted IndyCar for years.
From the report:
Its deal with the specific Brooklyn borough in which it races ends this year but it has an option for a further five events. That, though, depends on restructuring the layout of the site in which it races.
Should a compromise not be found for 2023 a race on a slightly truncated version of the 1.8-mile St Petersburg IndyCar venue a week before the IndyCar race take New York’s place as Formula E’s USA round.
The Race understands that discussions between Formula E and the organisers of the event began recently and that the Florida city is high up on possibilities of a race to fill the previously declared early March ‘tbd’ slot on the 2023 calendar.
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It wouldn’t be the first time FE has competed on an IndyCar track; the first seasons saw the series compete in Long Beach, California a few weeks before the IndyCar series rolled into town. IndyCar’s 2023 season has yet to be announced, but Forbes has reported that it should look almost the same as the current season. That would place the St. Pete Grand Prix in either its current February slot or its former March position. A possible March race for Formula E would allow the series to take advantage of the already-existing motorsport infrastructure, thus easing the strain of organizing a street race.
As Formula E expands into new markets, particularly in Asia, maintaining a consistent presence in America would still be important in further raising the profile of the series. It hasn’t been easy to be a Formula E fan here in America, but putting an event in an already-established American motorsport locale would be a smart mov — and probably a much more affordable one than New York City.
