Formula E is the racing series of the 21st Century; using fully electric cars which race in the hearts of iconic cities, they represent what the future of motorsport looks like. They recently launched their second generation racecar which gained a lot of critical acclaim and now their concentration shifts to finding new locations to go race.
ABB FIA Formula E Gen2 Car
In the last few months, they have had to deal with the disappointments of having the inaugural Sao Paolo ePrix pushed to Season 5 instead of Season 4 and the season finale in Montreal being cancelled, but Formula E bounced back well, successfully organizing another race in the coastal city of Punta Del Este in Uruguay.
Formula E organized a fantastic race at Punta Del Este recently
Now, Formula E must pay attention to the Asian market which is heating up quickly; the awareness and usage of EVs is increasing in Asia, particularly in China and now that Formula E has signed a new contract with the promoter who organizes the FE races in China, they must look at more locations in Asia.
Potential options include Doha, Dubai, Tokyo, New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. But the Asian city most fit to host a Formula E race seems to be Singapore.
Singapore is one of the world’s most advanced cities where more electric vehicles are gradually filling up the roads. Formula E’s main goal is to promote sustainable electric mobility for the common people and in a city like Singapore, where people from around the world come to work and live. Consequently, Formula E has a huge potential audience to influence.
Should they promote the sport well, they can attract massive crowds to the race and get them to watch Formula E, increasing their TV viewership and bringing more sponsors and partners in to the sport. Wherever Formula E has been to, it has made an impact on the people and the local companies, who have actively invested in sponsoring the series and they would have the goal to do the same if they are to race in Singapore.
Singapore could be a fantastic city to host Formula E races
Another reason why Singapore is a suitable place is the fact that Formula E will have no trouble in finding and developing a racetrack; the Marina Bay Street Circuit has hosted Formula One for 10 years now and although it is longer than most modern day Formula E tracks by quite a margin, it has played host to some pretty action packed races and the same can be expected if the Formula E cars race there.
The marvellous Marina Bay sits in the background and in the night, the city skyline looks simply gorgeous. A night race can be held to make the sport look more glamorous and to make the race time convenient for the European viewers.
Although the temperatures and battery life remain to be an issue in the present as Singapore’s hot climate would overheat the batteries and restrict the race distance, Formula E is working on their batteries to overcome various issues including this one and if sorted, it could clear a big hurdle for hosting a race in Singapore. Also, the Singaporean government said recently that they weren’t very interested to renew their contract with F1 although they have signed an extension till 2021. If they decide not to renew their contract after that, things could very well play into the hands of Formula E, who would like to capitalize on the situation.
Singapore has a quality racing circuit in the form of the Marina Bay Street Circuit
Another reason why Singapore would be a great location is because Singapore has a hot market for cars and with manufacturers slugging it out to gain a greater market share in Singapore, a win for the competing teams there would establish to the locals that their technology is superior, creating a psychological effect on the target audience and influencing them to buy their cars. The manufacturers can also organize various promotional activities in and around the city to promote their brand along with Formula E and that would mean a win-win situation for the teams and the series as a whole.
Formula E can host its first ever night race at Singapore
Add up all these factors and Singapore turns out to be the location that Formula E have always been looking for; a place which is aesthetically pleasing, has a big car market, a good racetrack and a large potential audience. If Formula E can get an ePrix to Singapore in the near future, the chances of the race being a massive success are higher than most places.
