Formula E is not looking at introducing the full Shanghai Grand Prix track or a version of it for Gen4 next season. Some circuits are being considered, such as the Mexico City and Jeddah tracks but Shanghai International Circuit will remain largely with its preset configuration. This is believed to be mostly because the full track has a long back straight which is particularly challenging from an energy spend point of view.
“At the moment, we’re not considering it,” Formula E Chief Operating Officer, Alberto Longo, confirmed to FEN in Shanghai.
“I think this track is absolutely perfect the way it is, with the last corner, which is kind of the trickiest one. But we are considering some changes in some of the other tracks, but Shanghai is not one them.”
Formula E entered in to a long-term deal with SIC in 2023 and has visited the venue of the Chinese Grand Prix since June 2024.
A Chinese race had previously taken place in 2014 and 2015 around the ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium in Beijing, which was constructed to host the 2008 Olympic Games.
Adapting Timetable a one off?
Formula E may have to face being adaptable in modifying its timetables at races in the future due to pressures on times of year that they can race in specific territories.
The Shanghai EPrix weekend has had to be modified on account of trying to avoid poor weather conditions in what is known locally in Shanghai as the (Mei Yu) which translates approximately to ‘plum rainy season’. This typically runs from mid-June to early July. During this time, the city experiences persistent rain, high humidity (around 75%), and uncomfortably humid temperatures, followed shortly by the typhoon season which lasts from late July to September.
Formula E has had to amend its timetables several times over the year’s, including at last seasons Tokyo EPrix when inclement weather forced changes to the schedule on both running days.
For Shanghai, Formula E is limited in when it can race at the Shanghai International Circuit as F1 has a ring-fenced period in April for use of the facility.
Next years Shanghai EPrix is scheduled for a week later, meaning that in theory it should avoid significant disruption. However, some key paddock figures have questioned why Shanghai is not grouped with the Sanya EPeix, which is pencilled in for March next year.
One element could be that Formula E needs a Plan B should it need to pivot and postpone the Jeddah EPrix meeting from its mid-December date due to geo-political instability.
Speaking to Formula E Notebook in Shanghai this week, Formula E CEO, Jeff Dodds stated that, irrespective of the two pronged Asian leg of the schedule next year, that “because of our focus on sustainability, we try and group our races [geographically] in ‘waves’.
“It is simply impossible to work the puzzle to be at the best time of year in terms of weather in every location, and also group the races together. We do the best we can,” added Dodds.
It’s a great time of year here for temperature, but the weather is volatile. We brought the race forward, and we got some rain, but not enough to stop the race. It’s incredibly complicated to get that right.”
