Over the last few seasons, Formula E has landed in many new countries, including India, which hosted its first ePrix in 2023 in Hyderabad, with the event won by Jean-Eric Vergne at the end of a long and exhausting defense.
Last season, the race was held on a street circuit located next to the Hussain Sagar lake in the center of Hyderabad, one of the largest cities in the country, with part of the necessary financial support also coming from private companies. Although the race then went off without a hitch, there was actually some criticism for the incomplete structures, as well as the fact that the track was still particularly dirty before the start of the weekend.
However, the hope was to return to Hyderabad, even if the talks to include the event in the calendar of the championship that is about to start immediately proved to be complex. Initially, in fact, he was not included in the draft for the 2024 season, only finding space in the latest revisions thanks to the signing of a new agreement. The ePrix was due to take place on February 10, but the organization of the event was thrown into doubt last week, when series leaders admitted they were seeking urgent clarification after receiving a letter sent by the new government of Telangana which questioned the holding of the Hyderabad match.
Fears which were then confirmed when Formula E officially confirmed that the race would not take place, citing “the decision of the Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), under the control of the Telangana government, not to respect the agreement with the host city”. Formula E added that it had no choice but to formally notify MAUD of the breach of the contract, which was signed on 30 October. FEO (Formula E Operations) is currently evaluating its position and the actions it can take based on the agreement undertaken with the city and local laws.
Alberto Longo, co-founder and head of the Formula E championship, was quite critical of the Telangana government: “We are extremely disappointed for the huge motorsport fan base in India. We know that hosting an official world championship race is an opportunity important and prestigious for Hyderabad and the entire country. The president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), Akbar Ebrahim, and his team have been incredibly supportive in bringing Formula E back to Hyderabad. They share our disappointment because of the Telangana government's decision, which means this will not happen.”
Although the news comes as a surprise, given that a multi-year agreement was signed last October, in reality the new Telangana government had formally opposed the organization of the 2023 race before taking office, proving itself against it from the start running of the ePrix.
Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, underlined the positive impact that the event would generate on an economic level, citing last year's data as support: “It is deeply frustrating not to be able to build on the success of last year's inaugural race, which brought nearly $84 million in positive economic impact to the region. We also feel sorry for our key Indian partners, especially Mahindra and Tata Communications.”
“The Hyderabad competition was important to showcase the benefits of adopting electric vehicles in a market where pollution from vehicle engines has a massive impact on public health and the environment,” explained the CEO, underlining how there are important commercial partners from India, including Mahindra, which takes part in the championship as a manufacturer. Furthermore, starting from this season there will also be an Indian driver, namely Jehan Daruvala, who will debut as an official Maserati driver.
The new season kicks off next week in Mexico City, but the cancellation of the Indian ePrix, as well as the decision not to replace the event, leaves a gap of almost two months between the race in Saudi Arabia (26 -27 January) and Sao Paulo (16 March), with the calendar now featuring 15 races.
It is not the first time that Formula E has found itself having to deal with an ePrix canceled after just one edition, as recently happened in Seoul and Cape Town, both of which disappeared from the calendar after making their debut in 2022 and 2023. Furthermore, for political and economic reasons, the Vancouver ePrix was also canceled in the past, in this case even before it could debut on the calendar.
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